Dr Joe Pitt, dermatology consultant and local GP, took delivery of a new £950 dermatoscope last week.

Seaton and District Hospital League of Friends has funded a new £950 dermatoscope to help diagnose skin complaints.

Dr Joe Pitt, dermatology consultant and local GP, took delivery of the new piece of equipment last week.

He has already started putting the equipment to good use on Carol Rowe, a League volunteer, who got some reassuring news about a mole.

He said: “I would like to thank the League of Friends for their very generous funding.

“This device illuminates and magnifies - without glare - skin lesions so allowing the operator to diagnose both benign skin lesions and skin cancers without directly touching the skin.

“It is possible to view many lesions very quickly which is ideal for when you want to check a large number of moles, for example, very quickly and accurately. Just today in clinic I have been accurately able to diagnose two skin cancers and reassure several other people about their benign moles.

“I am more than happy to demonstrate the device at the League of Friends’ summer fayre on July 4, where I shall be undertaking an open access mole check clinic for the general public.”