Dedicated general practitioner education sessions can improve diagnostic capabilities and may have a positive effect on referral patterns for common skin lesions.

Introduction: General practitioners (GPs) require the necessary skills to identify potentially malignant skin lesions and refer patients in an appropriate and timely manner. We examined the impact of a single consultant delivered education session to GP trainees on their diagnosis of common skin lesions.

Methods: A prospective analysis of baseline knowledge was assessed using a photographic questionnaire. A dedicated education session was delivered by a consultant plastic surgeon. Their knowledge was re-assessed after 3 months.

Results: There were 23 participants. Baseline ability to correctly diagnose skin lesions improved significantly at 3 months following dedicated teaching (baseline mean 30.2%, 3-month mean 65.9%, p = 0.001). All trainees recommended that dedicated skin education should be incorporated into GP training curricula.

Conclusion: Dedicated education sessions on skin lesions can improve the diagnostic accuracy of GP trainees, and we suggest that they are incorporated into the GP training curriculum.