Bupa expands remote dermatology as demand rises

Bupa has broadened its at-home skin assessment service for health insurance customers to cover a wider range of common skin conditions.

The service allows customers to upload images of skin concerns from their smartphone to the Skin Analytics app, where a Bupa-certified dermatologist reviews them alongside the patient’s medical history. If further investigation is required, customers are contacted to discuss next steps and a referral to a specialist can be arranged. In most cases, says the insurer, customers receive a diagnosis in three days.

The pathway was first launched in 2020 to provide remote support for suspected skin cancers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, it has supported around 20,000 customers, with referrals from Bupa’s digital health app Blua accounting for 30% of cases over the past year. Referrals have increased by 58% since the service began.

The expansion reflects growing pressure on access to dermatology in the UK, with long waiting times for NHS and private appointments. Dermatological conditions affect an estimated 60% of people at some point in their lives, and more than a million new patients are referred to specialist services each year.

The updated pathway now covers everyday issues such as rashes, dryness and irritation, as well as suspected conditions including psoriasis, eczema and hives. Customers receive professional guidance including self-care advice, treatment recommendations and support with specialist referrals.

Dr Tim Woodman, medical director for policy and cancer services at Bupa, said: ‘By ensuring our customers have timely access to convenient and reliable dermatology care, our expanded remote pathway is helping people to understand their skin issues quickly, stay healthy, and increase capacity for specialist consultants to support the most complex cases.’

Skin Analytics CEO Neil Daly added: ‘We know that there is significant demand for dermatology advice and treatment that extends beyond skin cancer, and we’re grateful to be working with Bupa to bring faster ways to access care to their members. By expanding the conditions for which we provide support, we look forward to supporting thousands more patients with rapid, convenient assessments of their skin concerns.’