Submitting Photos to the Practice
It is common for us to ask patients to send us photos to help us with our diagnosis or to allow us to prioritise your care more accurately.
Here is a simple guide on how to take a photograph to aid diagnosis.
Please note that this facility is only for use after specific direction from a member of the practice team. Any uploads which have not been specifically requested prior to sending will be deleted before being opened.
Please do not send photographs of intimate areas of the body.
Guide on how to take a useful photograph to aid diagnosis
Although photographing sometimes seems simple, there are a few rules of thumb that will make it much easier for your doctor to be able to make a diagnosis.
Adequate lighting
Please make sure the area is well lit. Not flooded with light, but enough light to make the area (for example, a mole on your arm) clear to see, and stand out from the surrounding skin.
Use a plain background
A light-coloured sheet or a light-coloured wall is ideal.
Some sort of scale
It is important to be able to tell the size of the lesion, so place a tape measure or ruler alongside it. Alternatively, something like a 5p or 10p piece alongside will be very helpful.
Indication of location
In some photographs, it can be very difficult to tell what part of the body the photograph is of.
Please make this clear, either in the photograph, or in your accompanying message. The side of the body (right or left) is also important. Sometimes you need to take several photos, one from a distance to show location, and closer ones to show detail.
Indication of orientation
It can sometimes be difficult to tell which way up a photograph is. Please try to make it clear on the photograph which way is up!
Make sure it is in focus
You would be surprised at the number of images we get sent that are blurry. Do your best to make the photos clear and sharp.
When you're asked to submit a photograph, remember to attach your Name along with your date of birth and which Clinician you will be having the telephone consultation with. This is always helpful for the Reception Team, so they know who to forward the photograph onto. By including your Date of Birth helps them to identify the correct patient who may have the same Name as yourself.