Skin allergies
Referrals
How to submit a referral
Non-e-RS referrals
In line with NHS England's Digital First approach, we encourage all external non-e-RS referrals to be submitted digitally.
Digital referrals help reduce delays, improve traceability, minimise the risk of lost or incomplete information, and support safer patient care.
Please submit referrals by email to [email protected].
We will continue to accept paper referrals where necessary. However, referrers will be advised to use digital referral methods in future.
Making a referral
We accept referrals for patients from:
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
- Lewisham and Greenwich Hospitals dermatology
- University College London Hospitals dermatology
Referral criteria
- Referrals must include a clear indication for patch testing as per the European Society of Contact Dermatitis guidelines.
- Dermatitis must be persistent or recurrent, with poor control from topical therapies or if one episode, cause significant morbidity/require hospital treatment and/or systemic treatment, with high clinical suspicion for allergic contact dermatitis.
- Referral must be made by community or secondary care dermatology, or a secondary care speciality for a specific indication, such as referral from oral medicine for suspected amalgam allergic contact dermatitis contributing to oral lichen planus. We are no longer accepting patients from primary care.
Tertiary referrals
Referrals are accepted from out of area for tertiary patch testing, if deemed appropriate by the triaging clinician (cutaneous allergy consultant dermatologist.)
This includes those with specific occupational contact allergy concerns, such as dermatitis in an employee at a pharmaceutical or industrial company, where patch test needs cannot be met by local service.
Please email referrals to us.
Contact us
Phone: 020 7188 6272
Email: [email protected]
Address: cutaneous allergy service, St John's Institute of Dermatology, Counting House, Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT
Last updated: July 2026