Skcin are excited to announce that our national, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Early Detection training programme for Allied Healthcare Professionals has been officially reviewed and endorsed by The College of Podiatry and awarded CPD Points.
Launched earlier this year, following the huge success of sister programme MASCED, for hair and beauty industry professionals and following extensive work undertaken in this field in relation to podiatry, Skcin’s MASCED PRO training programme was developed to provide Allied Healthcare Professionals with an accessible, cost effective tool with which to develop their knowledge of the early signs and symptoms of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers - giving them the confidence to refer or signpost patients to appropriate colleagues and/or services following the identification of suspicious lesions.
Given that 1 in 37 UK males and 1 in 47 UK females will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime (CRUK), yet melanoma of the foot and lower leg has an outstanding misdiagnosis rate of 36% (cancer.org), the MASCED PRO training will provide foot health practitioners with a greater / more in-depth knowledge and supportive tools with which to identify the various types of melanoma that occur on the foot and lower limb, making a valuable contribution to expanding the public health role of podiatrists and in making ‘every contact count’.
The College of Podiatry (COP) is the professional association and trade union for registered chiropodists and podiatrists in the United Kingdom. The COP promote guidelines and standards of practice that are evidence based, ensuring patient safety and clinical effectiveness with a focus on outcomes.
Already approved and supported by the British Association of Dermatologists, the MASCED PRO training has been subject to yet more rigorous analysis by the COP. The training programme was firstly assessed by the Committee of the Directorate of Podiatric Medicine, secondly by the COP’s Quality Assurance Committee for endorsement, with final approval awarded by the Academic and Clinical Governance Committee. The COP have further issued Skcin with the following supportive statement:
"The College of Podiatry is very happy to offer its endorsement and approval of this excellent training. Dermatology is a significant part of a podiatrist's daily work and to have a range of resources to maintain the high standards we expect is essential. This is one part of that expectation and we are grateful to Skcin for their ongoing endeavours”.
Marie Tudor, CEO of Skcin said: “There are over 13,000 podiatrists registered with the COP in the UK, these professionals are uniquely placed to observe changes or abnormalities to their patient’s skin that could indicate the early signs of melanoma. By learning how to spot these early signs and symptoms and referring their patients to their GP and/or dermatologist for appropriate clinical assessment, podiatrists can significantly improve prognosis and potentially save lives. We are working closely with all AHPs to promote and grow our training alongside relevant associations and industry bodies. We are proud to provide trusted and well regarded training that will help combat the rising incidence of skin cancer in the UK which have increased by 45% in the last decade and now costing the NHS in excess of £350 million in treatment costs annually.
COP members are entitled to exclusive discount of 35% making the training only £26. Discount codes are available on the provision of COP membership number via the COP web site.
Skcin would like to extend their special thanks to Skcin Ambassador Jane Henderson MChS BSc(PodM) and her daughter Emma Henderson MCPod BSs (hons) for their valuable contribution to the training programme. Their personal experience with melanoma in addition to their professional commitment to promoting prevention and early detection within podiatry has been invaluable to the development of the training and in subsequently gaining the approval from the COP.
We would also like to thank Dr Ivan Bristow UK lead for podiatric medicine and Dermatology for his contribution to the training. Dr Bristow quoted: "Many melanoma are discovered by healthcare professionals. Early detection of melanoma is the key to achieving good outcome for our patients. Podiatrists can play a key role in this process. Training to spot the signs can increase awareness of the problem and ensure patients are referred at the earliest opportunity for assessment, diagnosis and prompt treatment."
Skcin look forward to working with The College of Podiatry to ensure this training opportunity is highlighted to members, enabling them to not just show their commitment to their continued professional development, but in demonstrating their commitment to their patients by becoming powerful advocates in the fight against skin cancer which can and will, save lives.
For more information about the MASCED PRO Training programme visit: pro.masced.uk
