By Dr. Toby Nelson, Community Dermatologist and Co-Founder, Map My Mole
The Chancellor's recent call for increased productivity across public services is being echoed loudly in the NHS. Alongside the Health Secretary’s focus on shifting care from hospital back into the community, there’s a clear mandate: deliver more, faster, closer to home.
But if we’re going to digitise the NHS, empower patients, and restore clinical bandwidth in general practice - we must do more than patch over the cracks. We need to rethink how we triage risk in some of the most common conditions patients present with. Skin lesions are a perfect case in point.
Tens of thousands of patients contact their GP each week with concerns about new or changing skin lesions. GPs, stretched beyond capacity, often ask for photos - and with good reason. A clear image can often rule out concern, saving everyone time and anxiety.
But here’s the problem: too many of those photos are poor quality. Too many clinicians reviewing them aren’t confident in dermoscopic diagnosis. And too often, “not sure” leads to referral - because missing a cancer isn’t an option.
The result? A surge in two-week-wait (2WW) skin cancer referrals. Most turn out to be benign. But they cause enormous patient anxiety, cost, and downstream pressure on dermatology clinics. And they’re growing - fast.
General practice, through no fault of its own, isn’t equipped to manage this demand. Most GPs receive minimal dermatology training - a few lectures, maybe a handful of clinic sessions during training. Many newer clinicians are physician associates or allied professionals with even less exposure.
This knowledge gap breeds defensive medicine. If you're only 97% sure a mole is benign, the safest option is referral. But the system cannot sustain this. Not when non-melanoma skin cancers (BCCs, SCCs) - already the most common cancers - are rising sharply, especially in our aging population.
We are walking into a perfect storm: growing incidence, increasing patient awareness, falling workforce expertise, and overstretched services.
This is where Map My Mole offers a real-world solution. We’ve built and tested a patient-led, consultant-reviewed mole-checking platform that provides rapid, remote dermatology expertise — often within 24–72 hours.
Patients can:
We can embed this service into community settings: pharmacies, aesthetic clinics, even GP surgeries. GPs still retain the "while you're here, doctor" moments — but if unsure, they can now say: "Let’s get this checked properly by an expert, fast."
This is not just better care. It’s a calmer, clearer, safer experience for patients.
Patients don’t want to be told they might have cancer if there’s a better way. They want answers, not anxiety. With Map My Mole, we can intercept many cases before they hit the 2WW pathway - reducing unnecessary referrals and keeping urgent slots free for those who truly need them.
This isn't theory. In our South-West pilot, we reduced GP appointments and referrals by over 70%. We reassured hundreds of patients, many in remote or rural areas, and delivered clinical answers faster than the standard NHS route.
We stand ready to submit written evidence to the inquiry. As a company, we are committed to:
We welcome the APPG’s leadership on this issue - and we hope this inquiry leads to real, tangible reform that protects both patients and the public purse.
Artificial intelligence is frequently touted as a solution - but current models fall short. AI:
We believe AI will assist, not replace, expert review. It may help triage cases more quickly, but only within an infrastructure that puts patient care and safety first. Right now, a consultant dermatologist can make a safe, swift call - and our system allows that expertise to be distributed at scale.
We are aligned with NHS strategic goals: digital transformation, productivity, and personalised care. But digital care must be built around the patient - not the provider.
Map My Mole enables:
And we’re ready to go - with a network of clinics, trained staff, and validated tech. If the government is serious about productivity and prevention, let’s put consultants where they’re needed most: in pharmacies, clinics, and patient pockets across the UK.
The promise of digital healthcare isn’t about shiny tools - it’s about better outcomes. Earlier skin cancer diagnosis saves lives. Better triage reduces anxiety. Smarter pathways preserve precious NHS capacity.
Let’s not wait for the system to break. Let’s build the solution.
Dr. Toby Nelson
Community Dermatologist
Co-Founder, Map My Mole