Insights from the Surrey and Sussex Skin Cancer Summit

Xyla attended the Surrey and Sussex Skin Cancer Summit hosted by the Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance. Alongside the formal sessions, the event provided space for shared learning, with open discussion about what is working, where services are under strain and how support models are being viewed at system level.

Earlier preparation gives services more options

Pressure on skin cancer services, particularly over the summer months, was a consistent theme throughout the Summit.

Seasonal variation is well understood. Referral volumes rise as awareness increases over the summer months, while workforce capacity dips due to leave. What stood out was the shared frustration that this pressure is predictable, yet planning often still happens too late. When demand modelling and conversations about support start earlier, services have more control over how they respond. Waiting until June or July limits choice and increases risk, reinforcing the need to prepare in advance rather than react once pressure is already building.

Pausing pathways creates longer‑term problems

When pressure peaks, many services deprioritise elective dermatology work to protect cancer pathways, with the expectation that activity can be rebalanced later. In practice, that rebalance rarely happens. Backlog remains and services spend the rest of the year chasing demand rather than recovering, with knock‑on effects across the wider pathway.

Putting additional capacity in place earlier helps manage seasonal pressure without repeatedly redistributing workload within already stretched teams. This reflects what we see when supporting skin cancer pathways in practice. For systems looking to avoid pausing activity altogether, targeted insourcing support can provide additional resilience, maintaining momentum across pathways while protecting clinical teams.

Teledermatology works best when it is part of the pathway

Teledermatology has a role in addressing this challenge, but how it is designed matters. Models focused on early triage and referral management help prioritise risk, reduce unnecessary escalation into secondary care and protect specialist time. Where teledermatology is integrated into the pathway, pressure can be managed earlier rather than deferred downstream.

Our experience at Frimley illustrates this approach, supporting services to address backlog rather than pause activity and displace demand.

Operational complexity and patient experience are closely linked

Operational complexity was a recurring issue, particularly when services try to extend activity during peak periods. Coordinating consultants, nursing support, admin cover and booking processes can become a barrier in itself. There was interest in approaches that reduce this burden rather than add to it, particularly where triage, scheduling and review sit within a single pathway.

The impact of this complexity is often felt most clearly by patients. Delays were linked not only to clinical capacity but to communication and administrative issues, reinforcing that improving pathway coordination is as important as increasing activity.

Contributing delivery experience into system discussions

The Summit reinforced the value of open, practical discussion grounded in delivery reality and we were pleased to be a part of it. It was particularly valuable to see independent providers invited into the room alongside NHS partners to share learning, reflecting the growing recognition of the role collaborative delivery models can play in supporting system priorities.

The discussions echoed many of the themes set out in our National Cancer Plan executive briefing, particularly the need to translate policy ambition into pathways that can cope with rising demand, workforce constraints and seasonal pressure. Contributing teledermatology and pathway experience into these system‑wide conversations helps ensure that discussions stay focused on what can be delivered in practice.