About Howard Peach

Mr Peach qualified from University of Bristol Medical School in 1989, continuing his surgical training in Bristol, the South West and New Zealand, a country with one of the world’s highest rates of skin cancer. At the end of his training he completed a fellowship at the internationally renown Melanoma Institute of Australia (Sydney Melanoma Unit, as it was known then). This experience in Sydney was inspirational to his practice and significantly shaped how he approaches the many different challenges people with all types of skin cancer have.

In 2003 he was appointed as a consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust with a specific role to support the melanoma and skin cancer services.

Mr Peach does not perform cosmetic surgery. Whilst trained in this area of surgery, he decided to focus his expertise in providing a comprehensive skin cancer service. He is a nationally recognised expert in the diagnosis, management and follow up of all types of skin cancer. He is the only Plastic Surgeon in Leeds to be a core member of both the regional skin cancer services and is frequently consulted by his colleagues, who have patients with difficult skin cancers to manage.

Since starting as a consultant he has established skin cancer specific regional cancer services including:-

• sentinel node biopsy
• isolated limb infusion
• electrochemotherapy

He is clinical lead for the Specialist Melanoma regional service, overseeing its expansion from 4 members when he started to the current team of 15 consultants, 6 clinical nurse specialists, a research nurse and an administrative co-ordinator. Mr Peach is also a core member of the Specialist Skin (Non-Melanoma) regional service. This ensures that Mr Peach, as a core member of both regional skin cancer services, is able to discuss all aspects of skin cancer management, providing a comprehensive service to his patients.

Mr Peach is a past chair of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons Skin Cancer Specialist Interest Group. He also chairs the  Yorkshire Cancer Network Site Specific Group (NSSG) for Skin Cancer as well as holding the following positions:-

• GMC Specialist Registration for Plastic Surgery
• Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng)
• Invited expert witness to NICE on skin cancer
• Recent Specialist Advisor to NICE on Interventional Procedures for Skin Cancer
• Melanoma Focus charity Scientific Committee and Trustee board member.

He has been principally involved with developing the first national skin cancer royal college of surgeons fellowship, for UK trainees with an interest in Skin Cancer. He is one of the main authors of the 2010 UK Melanoma Study Group guidelines on management of melanoma.

Consultations are all conducted at the Spire Hospital and all examinations will be carried out in the presence of a chaperone. In addition to general information relating to your diagnosis, Mr Peach routinely copies you in on any correspondence with your GP. This will provide you with a summary of the consultation and a record of what has been discussed. You are encouraged to ask questions either during the consultation or if they appear afterwards to contact Mr Peach via his secretary and he will then clarify any concerns or questions you may have.

He has had successful annual appraisals and revalidation since starting as a consultant in 2003.