Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) in Ireland
This post was written by Barry.
In this post, I will describe the HS landscape in Ireland, focusing primarily on patients, care, and research.
When I was diagnosed with HS by a locum GP in 2006 (after an almost 20-year delay), I did what many others do in such situations i.e., I went online and searched to find out what was available in terms of support(s), care, and research. I was disheartened (putting it mildly) to find out that there was very little happening in any of these areas. All I found was one clinician who had published a few papers on HS. On contacting this clinician’s office, I was told that they no longer had any research interest in HS. And that was it. Thankfully, there have been huge improvements since.
Despite the best intentions of healthcare professionals, family, friends, relevant organisations, and others, only those living with HS (or indeed any other condition[s]) can fully understand what it’s like to have it. Going online in 2006, I was unable to find any patient support groups. However, for over a decade, this private Facebook group offers peer-to-peer support to those living in Ireland directly affected by HS, and also to their families, friends, carers, and others (such as frustrated healthcare professionals keen to learn how to best care for their patients). In this group, we share information, experiences, and knowledge so that we may learn from one another how best to get by with this awful condition. Whilst not for everybody, many members view this network as a lifeline, especially those who have been alone with their HS for long periods. Being able to share experiences can be helpful for many.
HS Ireland, a patient-led group dedicated to supporting those affected by HS and to communicating timely, relevant, and reliable disease information, has recently emerged from the aforementioned Facebook support group. We are also increasingly involved in HS research with clinicians, academics, industry, and others – involving those affected by diseases in research is a win-win situation for all. In addition to Facebook, HS Ireland also operate other social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter.
We are fortunate in Ireland in that two specialty HS clinics have been established, with knowledgeable and empathetic healthcare staff doing their best for patients, who have by and large fallen through the cracks of healthcare and social systems heretofore. These HS clinics are located at Tallaght University Hospital (led by Professor Anne-Marie Tobin), and also at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin (led by Professors Rosalind Hughes and Brian Kirby). These clinicians are also active HS researchers (selecting the links on their names will yield Pubmed search results for some of their HS-related work). Laboratory-based academic researchers have also been investigating the molecular mechanisms underpinning HS, such as Professor Jean Fletcher at Trinity College Dublin. Some key HS publications have emerged from Prof. Fletcher’s laboratory, as listed here.
The HS community in Ireland is extremely fortunate to have the support of the good people at the Irish Skin Foundation for numerous years. This is a national charity dedicated to supporting those living with skin conditions in Ireland. The Irish Skin Foundation features an HS section on its website, highlights HS stories from those living with the condition, and has hosted numerous HS awareness, education, and information events over the years. Furthermore, they run a very popular Ask-a-Nurse helpline, a free and confidential guidance service for those with HS (and other skin conditions), operated by empathetic, experienced, and knowledgable dermatology nurses.
As outlined, the HS landscape in Ireland has altered considerably in recent years, for the benefit of all affected by HS. While much has been done, there is much more to do.
