General practitioners with a special interest in dermatology--the dermatologist's perspective.

The NHS plan promises the creation of general practitioners with a specialist interest (GPSIs) who will be able to provide an alternative referral resource for primary care. At present, only the specialties of orthopaedics, ophthalmology, ENT and dermatology, which have the longest waiting times for outpatient appointments, have been earmarked for GPSIs. The British Association of Dermatologists has examined, investigated and piloted several such schemes for dermatology provision. This paper summarises its principal conclusions.