British Association of Dermatologists

15/07/2025

If you haven’t read our new report on diagnostic AI in dermatology, it highlights a range of opportunities to maximise the potential benefits of these tools.

Perhaps the single biggest challenge for dermatology services is the incredibly high number of urgent cancer referrals, which are among the highest of any specialty. Of these referrals, only around 6% result in a confirmed diagnosis of skin cancer.

As the report highlights, this mismatch presents a major opportunity. If AI can safely reduce unnecessary referrals, it could significantly increase capacity and reduce pressure on dermatology services. In our view, this is the single greatest net benefit that diagnostic AI could offer.

This is not simple. We need technology trained and validated on real-world data from primary care settings. The NHS and government must clearly signal this requirement to industry, and industry must respond with appropriate, clinically relevant solutions.

Read the report in full here: https://www.bad.org.uk/clinical-services/artificial-intelligence/integrating-innovation-charting-the-course-for-ai-in-dermatology/

07/07/2025

In case you missed it, we published a comprehensive report on how decision makers in government and the NHS could harness the potential of diagnostic AI in dermatology.

Our report is particularly timely, given that the NHS 10-Year Plan for England explicitly highlighted the value of diagnostic AI in dermatology. This is a clear signal that dermatology is in the vanguard of the ‘analogue-to-digital shift’.

Our key recommendations cover 5 areas for policymakers:

- Establish a transparent regulatory framework to provide clarity for developers and build confidence among clinicians.
- Invest in digital infrastructure to ensure seamless data flow and integration across care pathways.
- Signal clear market needs to guide AI innovation towards practical, patient-centred solutions.
- Improve access to high-quality, diverse datasets so that AI tools are safe, effective, and equitable.
- Support workforce training and AI literacy to ensure clinicians and commissioners can safely evaluate and use emerging technologies.

Read the full report: https://www.bad.org.uk/clinical-services/artificial-intelligence/integrating-innovation-charting-the-course-for-ai-in-dermatology/

03/07/2025

Thank you to all delegates who were in Glasgow to spend three days with us at ! The virtual conference platform will be launching towards the end of July, with more details to follow in a separate email - so be on the lookout for that!

Details for BAD2026 will soon follow so you can save the date, so watch this space!

02/07/2025

We have partnered with Galderma UK to launch the Galderma Early Career Research Award, a grant to support early career research in dermatology.

The Award will be delivered in 2025, and will fund and recognise outstanding early career researchers working to advance understanding in atopic dermatitis (AD) and nodular prurigo (PN).

More details about the award to follow on the BAD’s website.

25/06/2025

We were touched by Sir Chris Bryant’s anecdote of speaking to a dermatologist about her experience of treating people with melanoma and how much this changed in the twilight of her career, with the advent of immunotherapy.

The interview will be shown at the Plenary session ‘Skin cancer rates at an all-time high: What more can we do?’, on Wednesday 2 July, at our Annual Meeting in Glasgow.

We can’t wait to welcome you to this session and we hope you enjoy the debate and discussion that is scheduled!

23/06/2025

We are delighted to have hosted an interview at the BAD’s Willan House, organised by Prof Michael Ardern-Jones, between broadcast legend John Humphrys and government minister, Sir Chris Bryant MP.

Sir Chris took us through his experience with skin cancer.

The interview will be shown at the Plenary session ‘Skin cancer rates at an all-time high: What more can we do?’, on Wednesday 2 July, at our 105th Annual Meeting in Glasgow, but in the meantime, here is a snippet to whet your appetite.

19/06/2025

It's fantastic to see this new campaign from our friends at the British Skin Foundation highlighting sun safety - especially as we roll into a heatwave!

11/06/2025

Good to see this issue is getting more media coverage 👏

False health claims and deepfake doctors. Why isn’t big tech keeping medical misinformation in check?

10/06/2025

DERMATOLOGY RESOURCES – Great news! More courses on dermatological surgery have been added to the British College of Dermatology’s Education Hub.

Go to https://learning.bcd.org.uk and select ‘dermatological surgery’ to browse.

05/06/2025

Less than a month to go for the 105th BAD Annual Meeting! To help you plan your time in Glasgow, we are pleased to advise we’ve published the scientific programme – featuring all the sessions, e-poster walks, hot topics, and meetings you might want to attend. You can have a browse here: https://badannualmeeting.co.uk/programme/

02/06/2025

Pre-registration for our 105th Annual Meeting closes on 9 June - make sure to pre-register to avoid any possible delays!

Once pre-registration closes, all delegates will need to register on site. We look forward to welcoming you in SEC Glasgow from 1 to 3 July this year.

https://badannualmeeting.co.uk/registration/

23/05/2025

A behind-the-scenes glimpse from Willan House this week, where Sir Chris Bryant sat down with broadcasting legend John Humphrys for a special interview.

We’re incredibly grateful to Chris for making time in his busy schedule as a government minister to speak candidly about his experience of skin cancer treatment.

Our thanks also go to John for helping to bring this important conversation to life. We look forward to sharing the full interview soon!

Finally, a big thank you to the mastermind behind this interview, BAD Academic Vice President, Prof Mike Arden-Jones.