GPwSIs and credentialing: A pilot project

The delivery of community and intermediate dermatology services by General Practitioners with a Special Interest (GPwSI) provides an opportunity to improve access to care for patients with skin conditions. Private providers are often keen to employ GPwSI to deliver care and this is likely to increase with the wider use of ‘Any Qualified Provider’ in the expanding NHS marketplace. Patients receiving care from GPwSI services need to feel reassured that the clinician is competent and accredited to deliver care. This article considers the history and future challenges of GPwSI accreditation in the context of the demise of the Primary Care Trusts, who were previously responsible for this process. A new approach, credentialing, will be described and the results of a recent joint British Association of Dermatology and Royal College of General Practitioners pilot project will be discussed.