The BSCA-Dowling Club update meeting will be taking place in Crewe on 26-27th September. Places are filling up therefore register early to avoid disappointment!

To register: https://www.eventsforce.net/bad/509/home

In response to concerns raised about clinicians offering patch testing services that may not meet the existing service standards, the Cutaneous Allergy Service Standard Working Party Group will be reformed. The group will update the existing standards and explore ways of monitoring and enforcing these for the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) both in the public and private sectors.

A patch testing standard operating procedure that was co-authored with the British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG) has been uploaded to the BSCA website: https://cutaneousallergy.org/resources/patch-testing-guidance-and-standards/. This should allow departments to set up and benchmark their patch test service against current standards.

The biennial BSCA Update Meeting taking place jointly with the Dowling Club will be taking place on 26-27th September and is now open for registration!

To register, scan the QR code or at: https://www.eventsforce.net/bad/509/home

To assist our members in keeping abreast of recent publications, we will be posting brief summaries on 3-4 interesting papers regarding contact dermatitis on the BSCA Forum at the end of every month. We hope this will prove useful for members in your clinical practice.

If there are publications you would feel would be important to highlight to the BSCA members, do let us know!

Annual General Meeting of the BSCA Tuesday 1st July at Glasgow SEC

Notice is given of the Annual General Meeting of the BSCA on the morning of Tuesday 1^st July at Glasgow SEC

Agenda

• President’s update
•  Officers’ updates
•  Committee change

The officers and members of the Committee will be re-elected at the Annual General Meeting.

A nomination has been received from Dr Sarah Wakelin and seconded by Dr David Orton to the Committee Secretary Dr P Cousen for Dr Natalie Stone to be elected as the new President of the BSCA commencing at the Summer AGM 2025

Proposals for alteration of the Constitution at the BSCA AGM July 2025

Alterations of the constitution can only occur at an Annual General Meeting.

Notice of the proposals below by Dr G A Johnston and duly seconded by Dr D Buckley have been sent to the Committee Secretary Dr P Cousen two months before the meeting and are now circulated with the notice of that meeting one month before the meeting.

For adoption, a two-thirds majority of those voting will be necessary.

Proposal one

4. The officers and members of the Committee will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations may be made by the Committee or by any two members and should be sent, together with the written consent of the Nominee, to the Committee Secretary not less than two months before the Annual General Meeting. Such nominations will be circulated with a notice of that Meeting. If other nominations are not received for the filling of vacancies, the Committee’s nominees will be deemed elected.

Is changed to

4. The officers and members of the Committee will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations may be made by the Committee or by any two members and should be sent, together with the written consent of the Nominee, to the Committee Secretary not less than two months before the Annual General Meeting.

Nominees are required to already be members of the BSCA.

Nominees for President are required to be already sitting on the BSCA committee.

Such nominations will be circulated with a notice of that Meeting. If other nominations are not received for the filling of vacancies, the Committee’s nominees will be deemed elected.

Current Committee:

President: Graham Johnston

Secretary: Philippa Cousen

Membership Secretary: Catherine Holden

Treasurer: Sarah Wakelin

Meetings Secretary: Donna Thompson

British representative on the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) committee: Deirdre Buckley

New Consultant Representative: Siobhan MacCarthy

Specialty and Associate Specialist Representative: Catherine Holden

Research and Audit Representative: Livia Soriano

Digital Representative: Ying Teo

NASG Representative: Aparna Sinha

Trainee Representative: Yasmin Khan

Regional representation:

London and South East: David Orton, Sarah Wakelin

East Midlands and East: Graham Johnston

North East, Yorkshire and Humber: Philippa Cousen, Mark Wilkinson

North West: Jason Williams

West Midlands: Donna Thompson

South West and South Central: Aparna Sinha, Deirdre Buckley

Wales: Natalie Stone, Mabs Chowdhury

Ireland: Johnny Bourke

Scotland: Chandra Bertram, Sharizan Abdul-Gaffar

Applications are now open for a 12-month post-CCT fellowship in Cutaneous Allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. This is an excellent opportunity to both develop an interest in cutaneous allergy and receive supra-specialist training in patch testing and the management of patients with severe urticaria. The post holder will join first class, multi-disciplinary teams in an active and progressive central London teaching hospital environment.

Please note this is a post-CCT fellowship and only suitable for those who have completed or almost nearing completion of dermatology training.

Further details on this position can be found on the the Trust website:  https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/current-vacancies#!/job/UK/London/London/Guys_St_Thomas_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Dermatology/Dermatology-v7027791

Findings from BSCA audit (September 2021-2022) assessing sensitisation to three acrylate co-polymers (ACPs) glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid co-polymer, sodium polyacrylate, and acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate cross-polymer (Carbopol®) in 1302 patients has now been published. Results show low rates of allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis to the ACPs at the concentrations tested.

Find the full text here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cod.14679

The BSCA trainee rep position is now available and open to applicants. This post will be for 2 years representing UK and Ireland dermatology trainees, supporting the BSCA committee work.

Requirements include regular attendance at BSCA committee meetings (4 times yearly, virtual or in-person), collaboration with the PILs subgroup and digital rep.

Applications should include support from a nominated BSCA consultant member. Please submit a short application of up to 150 words by 31st December 2024 to the BSCA secretary philippa.cousen@nhs.net.

In October 2021, the National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Allergy published the “Meeting the Challenges of the National Allergy Crisis” report which included a recommendation for a national plan for allergy. The National Allergy Strategy Group is now taking steps forward to produce a UK National Allergy Strategy 2025-2035, outlining the key objectives and priority projects needed to improve health outcomes and other unmet needs of the allergic community across the UK that will inform future advocacy and service development discussions.

Share Your Voice Survey 

It is essential that all stakeholders across the UK allergic community have an opportunity to get involved in sharing their voice in the development of the strategy. The National Allergy Strategy Group is sharing a consultation survey with all stakeholders to ensure the strategy is inclusive and relevant to the daily lives of all who live with allergy in the UK, as well as being based on expert evidence. To share your views on what should be included in the UK National Allergy Strategy, complete the Share Your Voice survey. Please note the survey will close on 15th November 2024.

Notice is given of the Annual General Meeting of the BSCA on the morning of Tuesday 2nd July at Manchester Central.

Agenda

• President’s update
• Officers’ updates
• Committee changes

The officers and members of the Committee will be re-elected at the Annual General Meeting.

A nomination has been received from Dr Livia Soriano and seconded by Dr Pippa Cousen for Dr Ying Teo as the new Digital Representative commencing after the Summer AGM 2024.

Proposals for alteration of the Constitution at the BSCA AGM June 2023.

Alterations of the constitution can only occur at an Annual General Meeting.

Notice of the proposals below by Dr G A Johnston and duly seconded by Dr P Cousen have been sent to the Committee Secretary Dr P Cousen two months before the meeting and are now circulated with the notice of that meeting one month before the meeting.

For adoption, a two-thirds majority of those voting will be necessary.

Proposal one:

“There will be a committee consisting of a President, Committee Secretary, Meetings Secretary, Treasurer, Membership and Website Secretary, a New Consultant Representative, a Specialty and Associate Specialist Representative, a Post Graduate Doctor Representative and a Research and Audit representative”

Is changed to:

“There will be a committee consisting of a President, Committee Secretary, Meetings Secretary, Treasurer, Membership and Website Secretary, a New Consultant Representative, a Specialty and Associate Specialist Representative, a Research and Audit representative, a Trainee representative and a Digital Representative”

Current Committee

President: Graham Johnston
Secretary: Pippa Cousen
Website & Membership Secretary: Catherine Holden
Treasurer: Sarah Wakelin
Meetings Secretary: Donna Thompson
BSCA representative on the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) committee: Dierdre Buckley
New Consultant Representative: Siobhan MacCarthy
Specialty and Associate Specialist Representative: Catherine Holden
Research and Audit representative: Livia Soriano
Trainee Representative: TBA

Regional representation

London and South East: David Orton, Sarah Wakelin
East Midlands and East: Graham Johnston
North East, Yorkshire and Humber: Philippa Cousen, Mark Wilkinson
North West: Jason Williams
West Midlands: Donna Thompson
South West and South Central: Aparna Sinha, Deirdre Buckley
Wales:  Natalie Stone, Mabs Chowdhury
Ireland: Johnny Bourke
Scotland: Chandra Bertram, Sharizan Abdul-Gaffar