Ratification Date: 13/10/2025
Next Review Date: 13/10/2026
Online Courses & Training [For Healthcare Professionals]
This page brings together practical guides, educational sessions, and online training to support primary care teams in assessing and managing dermatology presentations.
Courses/Online Training Resources
Free
The Primary Care Dermatology Society (PCDS)
PCDS provides excellent learning materials, clinical guidance, and case studies specifically for GPs and practice nurses.
e-Learning for Healthcare – Dermatology
A free resource provided by Health Education England. Offers modules on common skin conditions, skin surgery, and skin cancer.
An internationally respected clinical dermatology resource with images, diagnosis support, and patient information.
RCGP – Dermatology Clinical Resources
Dermatology toolkit for common skin conditions
Skin Cancer Primary Care e-Learning (GatewayC)
This course aims to assist primary care staff in effectively assessing and managing patients with skin lesions that could be cancerous. Through video content, you will be presented with a selection of images of suspicious lesions discussed by a consultant dermatologist, alongside a range of activities to reinforce key learning points.
Legal & Ethical Requirements on Mobile Devices, e-Learning module covering the safe, ethical and practical aspects of taking and storing clinical photos on mobile devices.
BMJ Training
(Please note BMJ courses require subscription)
Dermatology fundamentals Online course | BMJ Learning
This collection covers essential courses designed to enhance your dermatological knowledge. After you complete this course you should improve your ability to recognise a range of dry skin conditions and effectively advise patients on the next steps in managing their condition. Get insightful feedback from an expert on psoriasis and follow a step-by-step guide for diagnosing and managing pruritus in primary care. This collection will also help you recognise and manage dermatological emergencies that you may face in practise.
What will you learn?
After completing this collection you should:
- Feel confident recognising conditions that may present with dry skin or rashes
- Understand what questions to ask patients about their dry skin condition
- Know how to diagnose most cases of eczema in primary care
- Be able to recognise and exclude differential diagnoses of eczema
- Understand how emollients support the skin barrier in dry skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and allergic or contact dermatitis
- Know how to appropriately advise patients and carers on the best formula and how to apply emollients
- Understand the threshold for a referral to dermatology for psoriasis
- Know how to detect psoriatic arthritis, and when to refer to a rheumatologist
- Feel confident in the management of psoriasis on specific skin sites, including the nails and scalp
- Feel confident recognising and differentiating a range of itchy rashes
- Assess a patient with pruritus in clinical practice
- Plan the treatment of a patient with pruritus
- Diagnose acute dermatological conditions associated with pregnancy, such as atopic eruptions, pemphigoid gestationis and polymorphic eruption of pregnancy
- Treat common skin conditions which may present during pregnancy, such as psoriasis and acne
- Advise pregnant women of the potential risks to the foetus, risk and benefits of treatments and risk of recurrence of such skin conditions in subsequent pregnancies.
Recognising skin cancer and benign skin lesions Online course | BMJ Learning
This learning collection is a comprehensive guide on dermatological malignancies and benign skin lesions. It covers the identification, diagnosis, and management of common skin tumours, both malignant and benign. The focus is on recognising key features, understanding risk factors, and being familiar with treatment options. The course emphasises using diagnostic aids, differentiating between malignant and benign pigmented lesions, and knowing when to refer patients for specialised care.
What will you learn?
After completing this collection you should:
- Recognise the most common malignant skin tumours
- Understand the risk factors and prognostic factors for dermatological malignancies
- Identify common benign skin lesions, including seborrhoeic keratoses, dermatofibromas, cysts, and haemangiomas
- Describe what treatments to choose for common benign skin lesions
- Be confident in using diagnostic aids to examine skin lesions
- Recognise key differential diagnoses of melanoma
- Know when to refer a patient to a dermatology specialist
- Understand how to counsel patients on prevention and awareness of skin cancer
Ask an expert: Psoriasis Online course | BMJ Learning
Expert answers to GPs’ questions on common challenges, including diagnosis and management of psoriatic arthritis, practical advice on the use of topical treatments, the role of systemic therapy, and when to refer to secondary care.
After completing this course you should:
- Understand the threshold for a referral to dermatology
- Know how to detect psoriatic arthritis, and when to refer to a rheumatologist
- Feel confident in the management of psoriasis on specific skin sites, including the nails and scalp
- Understand the role of topical and systemic therapies, and phototherapy.
Common benign skin lesions Online course | BMJ Learning
This course will help you identify common benign skin lesions, what treatments to choose, and when to refer a patient.
After completing this course you should:
- How to identify common benign skin lesions including seborrhoeic keratoses, dermatofibromas, cysts, and haemangiomas
- Be able to Describe what treatments to choose for common benign skin lesions
- Be able to assess when to refer a patient to a specialist in dermatology.
Skin disease in pregnancy Online course | BMJ Learning
Dermatological complaints are common in pregnancy and can be difficult to recognise. This quick guide for GPsaims to outline what to watch out for, the safest and most appropriate treatments and when to refer for specialist support
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to diagnose acute dermatological conditions associated with pregnancy, such as atopic eruptions, pemphigoid gestationis, and polymorphic eruption of pregnancy
- Know how to treat common skin conditions which may present during pregnancy, such as psoriasis and acne
- Know how to advise pregnant women of the potential risks to the foetus, risk and benefits of treatments, and risk of recurrence of such skin conditions in subsequent pregnancies
- Be able to recognise when to refer to secondary care.
Common skin tumours: recognition and risk factors Online course | BMJ Learning
Work through these cases to familiarise yourself with the most common malignant skin tumours in the UK and help differentiate them from other benign skin lesions.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to recognise the most common malignant skin tumours and benign skin lesions
- Be familiar with the risk factors and prognostic factors for dermatological malignancies
- Be aware of the common modes of treatment for these skin lesions.
Emollient use in patients with dry skin Online course | BMJ Learning
Emollients are the backbone for the management of a range of dry skin conditions, but are only effective if a patient is prepared to use them. This article explains how they work, what the alternatives are, and how to prescribe them most effectively.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Understand how emollients support the skin barrier in dry skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and allergic or contact dermatitis
- Be able to involve patients in decision making
- Know how to appropriately advise patients and carers on the best formula and how to apply emollients
- Be able to discuss safety considerations with patients
- Understand the evidence of use for alternative therapies, such as olive oil.
Quick quiz: Acute itchy rash Online course | BMJ Learning
A series of case studies with diagnostic pictures will help improve your knowledge on how to recognise and diagnose a range of acute itchy rashes
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Feel confident recognising and differentiating a range of itchy rashes
- Know how to assess a patient presenting with an acute itchy rash
- Be able to confidently diagnose six acute itchy rashes
Clinical pointers: Melanoma Online course | BMJ Learning
A practical guide to differentiating between malignant and benign pigmented skin lesions, recognising key differential diagnoses of melanoma, and knowing when to refer patients with suspicious lesions.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be confident in using diagnostic aids to examine skin lesions
- Be able to identify lesions suspicious of melanoma
- Know when to refer a patient to a specialist
- Be able to recognise key differential diagnoses
- Understand how to counsel patients on prevention and awareness of skin cancer.
Rosacea: a guide to diagnosis and treatment Online course | BMJ Learning
This module gives GPs an update on the diagnosis and treatment of acne rosacea. The module includes diagnostic pictures to recognise differential diagnoses and guide management, highlighting the latest treatments, and outlining when to refer to a specialist.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to diagnose rosacea
- Appreciate the impact of rosacea on the quality of life and psychological wellbeing of your patients
- Know how to treat rosacea
- Know when to refer patients to a specialist.
Ask the consultant: Dermatological infections Online course | BMJ Learning
In our series for internal medicine trainees, consultant dermatologist Dr Ashish Sharma and clinical fellow in dermatology Dr Zahra Moledina answers trainees’ questions on fungal nail infections, idiopathic pruritus, the use of antibiotics in acne, and minimising the risk of recurrent cellulitis.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- How to safely treat fungal infections in patients with end stage liver disease
- How to treat onychomycosis and the differences between prescribing for finger and toenail infection
- When skin, nail, and scalp samples should be sent for dermatophyte microscopy and culture
- How to differentiate erysipelas from cellulitis and which factors increase the risk of recurrent cellulitis
- How to manage idiopathic pruritus
- When antibiotics should be prescribed for the treatment of acne vulgaris.
Step by step: diagnosing and managing pruritus in primary care Online course | BMJ Learning
Learn how to assess a patient with itchy skin in primary care, and how to diagnose and treat different types pruritus.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to describe the most common causes of pruritus, especially of chronic pruritus
- Know how to assess a patient with pruritus in clinical practice
- Be able to recognise the clinical signs of chronic pruritus
- Be able to plan the treatment of a patient with pruritus.
Acne: managing patients in primary care Online course | BMJ Learning
Learn how to identify different types of acne, choose best treatment, and know when to refer to a specialist.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to identify different types of acne
- Be able to explain the condition to your patients
- Know how to choose the best treatment for your patients
- Know when to refer patients to a specialist
- Be able to coordinate and monitor the long term care of your patients.
Clinical pointers: Recognising rashes and dry skin conditions Online course | BMJ Learning
This course will introduce you to a range of skin conditions that can cause rashes and dry skin conditions on a range of different skin tones. It will outline some of the characteristics of the condition that help differentiate it from similar conditions.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Feel confident recognising conditions that may present with dry skin or rashes
- Recognise key features of skin conditions that will help with differentiation
- Understand what questions to ask patients about their dry skin condition.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis Online course | BMJ Learning
This course looks at how to diagnose and manage Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. It examines how to provide supportive measures, provide local management of affected skin and advises on disease-specific treatments.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to differentiate Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis from other skin conditions
- Know how to arrange appropriate investigations
- Know when to admit the patient, how to stabilise their condition, and treat any underlying causes.
Erythroderma: recognising and referring Online course | BMJ Learning
This course looks at how to recognise and refer erythroderma. It outlines the appropriate investigations that need to take place and examines how to provide supportive measures and provide local management of affected skin and discusses the underlying cause.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Be able to differentiate erythroderma from other skin conditions
- Know how to arrange appropriate investigations
- Know when to admit the patient, how to stabilise their condition, and treat any underlying causes.
Clinical pointers: Diagnosing atopic eczema Online course | BMJ Learning
This course provides clinicians with an update on the diagnosis of atopic eczema. It will provide all the information needed to recognise and confidently diagnose eczema in children and adults.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Know how to diagnose most cases of eczema in primary care
- Be able to recognise and exclude differential diagnoses of eczema
- Recognise infection in eczema
- Be able to advise patients about exacerbating factors and triggers
- Know when to refer to secondary care during diagnosis.
Quick Quiz: Rashes in children Online course | BMJ Learning
Using patient case studies with diagnostic pictures, learn how to diagnose six childhood rashes in this quick quiz for GPs.
What will you learn?
After completing this course you should:
- Know how to recognise and manage six important causes of rash in childhood
- Be able to spot any red flags when seeing children with rashes
- Know how to assess and decide when to refer children to a specialist
- Understand how to make important differential diagnoses.