To excise or not to excise? Should GPs remove possible melanomas?

Safety of community-based minor surgery performed by GPs: an audit in different settings

“…4 This article describes how GP minor surgery is taking place and they are removing pigmented lesions, despite national guidance that they should be referred to secondary care as GPs perform less well. 5 Registries, clinical audits, and surgery checklists are all tools used to improve quality and are relevant to GP minor surgery. Registries can be used to profile individual surgeons and to monitor quality.…”

Does Patients' Place of Residence Affect the Type of Physician Performing Primary Excision of Cutaneous Melanoma in Northern Scotland?

“…The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have also specifically targeted a reduction in the proportion of malignant melanomas being biopsied in primary care . Further, in a recent editorial reviewing current contradictory evidence, Purdy and de Berker concluded that there is insufficient evidence to justify changing current guidelines . Clearly then, as things stand, these data indicating that melanoma is managed differently in suburban areas and remote small towns are concerning and worthy of further thought.…”