Dr James Whitlock
Consultant dermatologist: eczema, psoriasis, patch testing and phototherapy
GMC specialist registerDEMO-6200004
Next slotThu 08:30 (demonstration)
DaysMon · Thu · Fri
VideoFollow-ups by video
00Eczema & psoriasisProcedure
Narrowband UVB phototherapy
ClinicEczema & psoriasis
SeenStarts within 10 days
ResultMost clear by week 8
Price£55 · Per session; induction £75; course of 24 £1,150
Next slotThu 08:30 · Dr James Whitlockdemonstration
A course of narrowband UVB in our own cabinet, two or three sessions a week for eight to ten weeks, run by a phototherapy nurse with a consultant prescription.
00The record
Narrowband UVB phototherapy: what it is, what is included.
| Cell | Entry |
|---|---|
| Seen | Starts within 10 days |
| Result | Most clear by week 8 |
| Price | £55 a session, £1,150 a course |
| Insured | Covered by most insurers on referral |
| Length | Under 10 minutes a session |
| Instalments | £96 a month over 12 months at 0% |
Included in the price
- 01Skin-type assessment and test dose
- 02Nurse-run sessions with eye protection
- 03Consultant review at session 12 and at the end
- 04A lifetime dose record
- 0507:15 and 17:45 sessions
Phototherapy is the treatment between creams and tablets: no drug in the body, no bloods, and it clears most psoriasis and settles a good deal of eczema, vitiligo and itch. The catch is the diary: two or three visits a week for two to three months. Ours is open from 07:15 so it fits before work, and a session is under ten minutes door to door.
What happens
- A consultant prescription and a skin-type assessment
- An induction with Marek: eye protection, the cabinet, and a test dose to find your starting point
- Sessions of seconds to minutes, increasing each visit, two or three times a week
- A consultant review at session twelve and at the end
We keep a lifetime record of your dose, because UVB is a treatment with a lifetime budget.
Procedure
From £55
Per session; induction £75; course of 24 £1,150
SeenStarts within 10 days
ResultMost clear by week 8
InsuredCovered by most insurers on referral
Or£96 a month at 0%
00Suitable for
Who this is for, and who it is not.
The consultant decides in the room; this is the honest list so you book the right appointment first time. Unsure: send a photo and Claire will say.
For
- Plaque and guttate psoriasis
- Widespread eczema not controlled by creams
- Vitiligo, especially of the face
- Generalised itch of the elderly and some rarer light-responsive conditions
Not for
- Lupus, xeroderma pigmentosum or a history of melanoma
- People on medicines that make the skin light-sensitive, until reviewed
- Anyone who cannot attend twice a week: we will say so rather than start
Insurance: Covered by most insurers on referral. Billed directly: give Rosie your policy number and authorisation code and you pay only your excess.
00What happens
The day, and the days after.
Recovery written as the record will read: what to expect on each day, and when Claire sees you.
- 01Weeks 1 to 3Doses rise; mild pinkness a few hours after is expected, sunburn is not.
- 02Weeks 4 to 6Plaques thin and flatten. Moisturise after every session.
- 03Weeks 8 to 10Course ends; most psoriasis stays clear for months.
Also in eczema & psoriasis
How you get the result
Within one working day of a photoClaire replies to the triage line with one of three words: today, this week, or routine, and the appointment that fits. Free.
In the roomA mole check, full-body check or consultation ends with a verdict and a written note. You are not sent away to wait for a letter.
00Risks, in plain words
What can go wrong, and how often.
Told before, not after. Audited: 79% of psoriasis courses reached clear or almost clear; median 22 sessions.
- 01Sunburn-like redness if the dose steps too fast
- 02Dryness and itch during the course
- 03Cold sore reactivation
- 04A small increase in long-term skin cancer risk, which is why we record lifetime dose and check your skin yearly
Counted in the audit
Outcome2025 audit: 79% of psoriasis courses reached clear or almost clear; median 22 sessions
0Phototherapy burns needing treatment. 5,100 sessions. Mild pinkness is expected and not counted.
00Related conditions
The conditions this is booked for.
From the conditions A–Z, with the urgency stamp each carries. The full guide →
First, a photograph
Send the photo by WhatsApp to 01632 960951 or the upload form: one from thirty centimetres, one close up, in daylight, with a coin for scale. Claire will tell you whether it is today, this week or routine. If it bleeds, ring instead.
Worried about a mole?
Ring, or send a photo. Either way, you are seen.
Mole checks within 3 working days; same day if bleeding.
Front porch, Chestnut Avenue
Four spaces on the gravel drive including one blue badge; free on-street parking on Chestnut Avenue, tight on Wednesdays
Garden entrance, Chestnut Lanestep-free
Drop-off bay at the door; two spaces reserved for surgery patients on the day