Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

As I begin my term as President of BSPAD, I would like to thank members for their support and for the tremendous work being undertaken across the UK to improve the care of children and young people with skin disease.

BSPAD has always been a society built on collaboration, education, innovation and friendship. Whether working in tertiary centres, district general hospitals, community services, research or education, our members share a common goal: ensuring that children and young people with skin disease receive the highest possible standard of care.

This Summer Update highlights some of the exciting developments within our specialty, upcoming meetings and educational opportunities, as well as several areas where BSPAD continues to advocate for patients, trainees and clinicians alike.

I look forward to working with you over the coming years as we continue to strengthen paediatric dermatology services, support workforce development and improve access to care across the UK.

Looking Ahead to BAD 2026 in Manchester

The British Association of Dermatologists Annual Meeting will take place in Manchester from 29 June to 2 July 2026 and promises to be another excellent scientific and educational event.

Paediatric dermatology will once again have a strong presence throughout the meeting. Of particular note is the joint BAD–Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health session taking place on Tuesday, bringing together colleagues from both specialties to discuss issues of shared importance and strengthen collaboration between dermatology and paediatrics.

The BSPAD scientific session will take place on the Thursday morning and will showcase the breadth of clinical practice, research and innovation occurring across paediatric dermatology services throughout the UK and beyond.

We look forward to welcoming many of you to Manchester.

BSPAD Annual Meeting 2026 – Oxford

Please note that this year’s BSPAD Annual Meeting will take place significantly earlier than usual.
41st Annual BSPAD Meeting
11–12 September 2026
St Hilda’s College, Oxford

The meeting will feature:

• Invited national and international speakers
• Scientific presentations
• Expert discussions in paediatric and adolescent dermatology
• Opportunities for networking and collaboration
• The annual dinner will be held on the Friday evening at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
• On Saturday morning, delegates will have the opportunity to participate in clinical case discussions hosted by colleagues from Oxford University Hospitals
• As the meeting is being held in September rather than the traditional November slot, we encourage members to reserve these dates early
• Further information and registration details will be available through the BSPAD website.

Training the Next Generation of Paediatric Dermatologists

The recently updated dermatology curriculum continues to recognise the importance of paediatric dermatology within specialist training.

BSPAD strongly supports the principle that all dermatologists should receive meaningful exposure to paediatric dermatology during training. This is particularly important for future consultants working in district general hospitals and secondary care dermatology services, where a significant proportion of children with skin disease receive their care.

Children and young people should be able to access high-quality dermatological care close to home whenever possible. Secondary care dermatologists should therefore feel confident diagnosing and managing common paediatric skin disorders and initiating standard systemic therapies where appropriate.

These include treatments such as:

• Isotretinoin
• Propranolol
• Methotrexate
• Ciclosporin
• Acitretin

Increasingly, tertiary paediatric dermatology services are receiving referrals for conditions that could and should be managed within secondary care. Whilst highly specialised centres play a vital role in supporting complex disease and delivering nationally commissioned therapies, it is important that secondary care services retain the skills and confidence to manage common paediatric skin conditions and initiate established systemic treatments.

This approach helps reduce waiting times, improves access to care and ensures that children receive treatment closer to home whenever possible. It also allows tertiary services to focus on patients requiring highly specialised multidisciplinary input, advanced therapies and nationally commissioned treatments.

In addition to supporting dermatology trainees, BSPAD recognises the important contribution made by paediatricians with a specialist interest in dermatology. Across the UK, these colleagues play a vital role in delivering care for children and young people with skin disease, particularly in areas without direct access to tertiary paediatric dermatology services.

We are therefore supportive of the development of training opportunities for paediatricians wishing to gain additional expertise in dermatology, including SPIN (Special Interest) modules and structured educational programmes. Such initiatives have the potential to strengthen local services, improve access to specialist advice and contribute to the development of a sustainable workforce for the future.

Addressing workforce challenges remains a key priority for BSPAD. Expanding opportunities for training, fellowships and specialist skills development across both dermatology and paediatrics will be essential if we are to meet increasing demand and ensure equitable access to high-quality care for children and young people throughout the UK.

We remain committed to expanding opportunities for additional paediatric dermatology training through both pre-CCT and post-CCT fellowship programmes and are actively exploring ways to increase fellowship capacity in the future.

BSPAD Fellowships and Research Opportunities

Supporting education, training and research remains one of BSPAD’s core objectives.Members may wish to consider applying for the following opportunities:

BSPAD Training Fellowship Award

Supporting trainees seeking additional educational and clinical experience in paediatric dermatology.

BSPAD UK Small Clinical Fellowship Award

Designed to facilitate focused clinical experience within recognised paediatric dermatology centres.

ESPD Meeting Fellowship

Supporting colleagues who are presenting work at the European Society for Paediatric Dermatology Annual Meeting.

BSPAD Research Grant

BSPAD also offers a major research grant of up to £15,000 to support high-quality paediatric dermatology research.

Applications for this year’s research grant have now closed. Further details regarding all BSPAD fellowships and future funding rounds can be found on the BSPAD website.

We would strongly encourage trainees and early-career consultants to explore these opportunities and consider becoming involved in research, education and service development initiatives.

Scabies – An Ongoing Challenge

Recent analysis of BSPAD website activity has highlighted a substantial increase in traffic to our patient information resources, particularly those relating to scabies.

This reflects reports from many regions describing increasing numbers of cases, treatment failures and concerns regarding ongoing transmission within households, schools and institutional settings.

It is important that healthcare professionals remain familiar with:

• Appropriate use of topical scabicides
• Simultaneous treatment of household contacts
• Environmental decontamination measures
• Recognition of treatment failure and reinfestation
• Management of outbreaks in schools and care settings

There is also increasing awareness of the role of oral ivermectin in selected cases. Whilst ivermectin remains an off-licence treatment in many paediatric settings within the UK, an increasing body of evidence supports its effectiveness in difficult-to-treat, recurrent and resistant cases.

Recent work published in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific demonstrated that ivermectin was well tolerated and highly effective in young children with scabies, with excellent treatment success rates and no significant safety concerns identified. These findings add to the growing evidence base supporting the use of ivermectin in appropriately selected paediatric patients and may help inform future treatment strategies for this increasingly common condition.

BSPAD will continue to work with colleagues in primary and secondary care to promote evidence-based management pathways and educational resources. Members are encouraged to direct colleagues to the BSPAD patient information sheets and existing treatment guidance, particularly when managing outbreaks or recurrent infestations.

Therapeutic Advances in Paediatric Dermatology

We continue to witness remarkable progress in the treatment of paediatric skin disease.For children and young people with inflammatory skin disorders, an expanding range of biologic therapies and targeted small molecules is transforming outcomes and offering new opportunities for disease control that would have been unimaginable only a decade ago.

Similarly, the treatment landscape for vitiligo is evolving rapidly. New targeted therapies are emerging and ongoing research continues to improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and treatment response. The coming years are likely to bring significant advances for patients living with this often psychologically distressing condition.

These developments are exciting for patients, families and clinicians alike. However, they also reinforce the importance of maintaining strong dermatology services at secondary care level. Established systemic therapies should be available and initiated where appropriate within secondary care services, ensuring that patients receive timely treatment while preserving access to tertiary centres for more complex care and advanced treatment pathways.

As newer biologics and targeted therapies become available, it is essential that dermatologists working in secondary care remain confident in the assessment and management of children with inflammatory skin disease. Timely initiation of conventional systemic therapies can significantly improve outcomes and reduce delays in accessing more advanced treatments when required.

Summer Sun Safety

As we enter the summer months, BSPAD would like to remind families and healthcare professionals of the importance of sensible sun protection for children and young people.

• Avoiding prolonged exposure during peak UV hours
• Using protective clothing, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses
• Seeking shade whenever possible
• Applying broad-spectrum SPF 30–50 sunscreen appropriately and regularly
• Taking particular care with infants and young children
• Encouraging lifelong sun-safe habits from an early age

Patient information resources remain available through the BSPAD website and can be shared with families during consultations and educational events.

BSPAD Strategic Priorities

Over the coming year, BSPAD will continue to focus on:

• Improving access to paediatric dermatology expertise across the UK
• Supporting workforce development and training
• Expanding fellowship opportunities
• Supporting workforce growth through fellowships, SPIN training opportunities and multidisciplinary education initiatives
• Promoting high-quality clinical research
• Supporting equitable access to modern therapies
• Developing practical clinical standards and treatment pathways
• Supporting dermatologists working in secondary care to deliver high-quality paediatric services locally
• Strengthening collaboration with partner organisations, including BAD, RCPCH and ESPD

Our goal remains simple: to ensure that every child and young person with a skin condition receives timely, evidence-based and high-quality care, regardless of where they live.

Thank You

Thank you to all BSPAD members for your continued commitment to improving the care of children and young people with skin disease.

Whether working in tertiary centres, district general hospitals, community services, academia or research, your contribution is vital to the success of our specialty. Together we can continue to strengthen paediatric dermatology services, support the next generation of clinicians and improve outcomes for children and families across the UK.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Manchester and Oxford over the coming months.

With best wishes,

Dr Tim Clayton
President, BSPAD

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Reference

Gwee A, Steer AC, Phongluxa K, et al. Ivermectin therapy for young children with scabies infection: a multicentre phase 2 non-randomized trial. Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. 2024;49:101144. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101144.