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Atopic Eczema - Useful Contacts for Advice

The National Eczema Society Hill House, Highgate Hill, London N19 5NA (020 7281 3553)

The National Eczema Society exists to eliminate the effects of Eczema.  It seeks to achieve this by:

• providing information, advice and support to people with eczema and those who care for them both locally and nationally
• managing programmes of patient-focused training courses for GPs, nurses and pharmacists (full information from Sue Ward)
• encouraging and supporting research into the causes, effects and treatment of eczema
• Providing staff and facilities to its subsidiary, the Skin Care Campaign, an alliance of skin patient organisation, companies and others interested in skin health

Support Group

This group is held every other month in the Children's Out-Patients' Department on Wednesday evenings from 7.00pm until 9.00pm. This is an informal meeting for parents of children with atopic eczema to discuss any problems they have and to provide support for each other. There are at least 2 of the nursing staff at each meeting. For further dates, please contact the Department on (0115 924 9924 ex 41210)

Benefits/entitlements - contact your local benefits agency. The number is in the telephone book.

Further supplies of creams - contact your own doctor. Most repeat prescriptions take about 48 hours.

For general advice about your child's health - contact your doctor / your health visitor. All available at your local surgery. Your practice nurse / School nurse - every school has a nurse allocated to them. However, they will not be available all the time at your child's school as they care for several schools. They usually can be contacted via the school or at the base which is usually the local health centre, but your school will know.

Careers

For advice on careers, discuss this with your skin specialist, nurse, or the careers advisor at school. The National Eczema Society also gives careers advice.

Complementary Therapy

Feel free to discuss these with your skin specialist. Further information can be obtained from the National Eczema Society and from the addresses below:

Association of Reflexologists British Acupuncture Association 110 Silkin Lane 34 Alderney Street London London SE8 5BE SW1V 4FU (020 7237 6523) (020 7834 1012/6229)

British Homeopathic Association Council for Complementary and 27a Devonshire Street Alternative Medicine London 179 Gloucester Place W1N 1RJ London (020 7935 2163) NW1 6DX (020 7724 9103)

College of Health St Margaret's House Institute for Complementary Medicine 21 Old Ford Rd PO Box 194 London London E2 9PL SE16 1QZ (020 8983 1225) (020 7237 5165)

Int Federation of Aromatherapists National Institute of Medical Dept of Continuing Education Herbalists Royal Masonic Hospital 9 Palace Gate Ravenscourt Park Exeter London Devon W6 0TN EX1 1JA (020 8846 8066) (01392 426022)

© Professor Hywel C Williams, Sister Sandra Lawton, Staff Nurse Sue Newham Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, 1995