To take the diagnosis with a pinch of salt...

[chatenoire]

I have a skin problem. GP 1 gave me a fairly serious diagnosis that in an ideal world should be confirmed with a biopsy. GP 2 downgraded it to plain eczema. Dermatologist (via photos) changed it to inverse psoriasis. I tend to agree with the dermatologist, but I'm kind of iffy as she didn't see me in person. I've had three different diagnoses all fairly different from each other. At the very least it makes me distrust the GP surgery as they both got it wrong... (The FB group specialised in the condition I was originally diagnosed with thinks I should demand a biopsy, but I don't think I even have enough evidence to ask for one!)

The dermatologist would have more training and experience than even a GP who has an interest in, and so had additional training, in skin conditions. I’d trust the dermatologist tbh.

I had a lot of skin misdiagnosis with a similar story of everyone having a different diagnosis and not being seen in person but instead over photos. So don’t blame you for taking it with a pinch of salt when everyone has different ones. I ended up going to a private doctor and paying for a biopsy

Why didn't the dermatologist see you in person? I would have though that was quite crucial in that specialism? If that condition is usually diagnosed via biopsy then I would be with your friends in saying you should ask for one.

I have a weird medical condition which took a long time to diagnose and to be honest it eroded any confidence I ever had in my GP. I'd go with the derm.

IME GPs aren't particularly useful when it comes to skin conditions, and I find they often minimise them.

Given things like psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that can also affect your joints and in some cases your heart, you'd think it would be fairly crucial to be properly diagnosed.

Of course it doesn't help that waiting times for outpatient appointments can be many months long, and referrals are often triaged and returned to GP with advice, so you're not actually seeing a dermatologist in person.

If you can afford it book a private face to face appointment with the dermatologist.

Yes and now I'm back to being under the care of a GP, who I have zero confidence about.

I would happily pay for a private appointment BTW, but I don't know any dermatologists, and I wouldn't get any local recommendations (posted on the local FB group).

I never thought I had the serious condition anyway, and the more I read about this type of psoriasis it makes more sense (and it can get confused with LS). However, considering I also have it on my face/neck/ears it was good enough to know it was very unlikely to be LS.

Is this a duplicate post? You've already asked this today.

At the very least it makes me distrust the GP surgery as they both got it wrong

Sorry, no, you don't know that. One of them could be right. The dermatologist is going from photos! If there's doubt you need a biopsy.

I would happily pay for a private appointment BTW, but I don't know any dermatologists, and I wouldn't get any local recommendations (posted on the local FB group).
I’d defs have a bit of a Google and use the bupa/circle health etc websites to see if you can track one down, I live in the sticks so assumed I wouldn’t be able to find one, but found a local one and then a recommendation off him for someone further away but a specialist for what I had.

My GP suggested a private multi disciplinary clinic when I asked for a private referral. Was consistent pricing with others I found on Google and did what I needed.

but they won't do a biopsy..also, under what grounds? My symptoms match psoriasis a lot better.

I'll look on the Bupa/ Circle Health directories and see if I can find any reviews