Skin Care Campaign

Web: www.skincarecampaign.org

The Skin Care Campaign (SCC) is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of all people with skin diseases in the UK. It is administered by the National Eczema Society. Membership of the SCC is open to all UK national patient organisations representing people affected by skin conditions and whose applications are approved by the SCC's Board.

With its firm base in voluntary groups, the SCC is able to draw on a huge resource of patient-based knowledge and experience. It combines this with advice and support from health professionals' organisations including the British Association of Dermatologists, the British Association of Plastic Surgeons, the British Dermatological Nursing Group, the Primary Care Dermatology Society, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

The Skin Care Campaign objectives are to:

• Work for the improvement of health care for people with skin disease.
• Educate and inform the public and others about skin diseases and their treatment.
• Supports other organisations in order to pursue these objectives.

The SCC is by nature inclusive. Forum meetings, generally held twice a year, provide opportunities for the Campaign's patient organisations (skin patient support groups), professional participants, corporate supporters and other supporting organisations to raise and discuss skin health issues and to prioritise the Campaign's activities.

To these ends, the SCC:

• Makes recommendations for improvements in dermatology services to Parliament, through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin, and directly to the Department of Health and to other health service providers.
• Participates actively in government and other initiatives to improve dermatology services.
• Runs media campaigns directed at health professionals and the public, to raise awareness of dermatology within the medical profession.

The SCC does not have the administrative capacity to respond to public enquiries. However, their website provides a lot of information and includes a directory giving information on many common and rare skin disorders and patient support groups.