Pauline (Polly) Buchanan

• Courtyard Dermatology Consultant Nurse
• Independent Nurse Prescriber
• RGN, RM, BSc (Hons), ONC, Counselling Cert, PG Diploma in Professional Dermatology (RCPI)
• Queen’s Nurse, Queen’s Nursing Institute for Scotland (QNIS)
• Member of Royal College of Nursing(RCN), British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG), Scottish Dermatological Nursing Society (SDNS), Primary Care Dermatology Society (PCDS)

Polly graduated as a nurse and midwife in Scotland and has many years’ experience as a clinical nurse, academic, educator and researcher within NHS Scotland and NHS England. Clinical specialties include general medical/surgical nursing, orthopaedics, midwifery and dermatology.

With 40 years experience in dermatology (adult and child), Polly was the first Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist to be appointed and was also the first Nurse Consultant in Dermatology to be appointed in the UK within the NHS. She was awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse in 2018 and became the first Dermatology Queen’s Nurse in Scotland.

Her special interests include chronic inflammatory skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea), skin cancer prevention and psychosocial impact of skin conditions.

Polly remains actively involved in education and professional development. She is clinical editor for the world leading dermatology nursing journal, Dermatological Nursing and a member of the Medical Advisory Board for the Ichthyosis Support Group.

Polly retired from the NHS in 2026 to develop private practice. She remains committed to patient care, education and support to help everyone understand and cope with living with a long term skin condition.