Key Takeaways:
- This practice is based in North West England, not London, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours from Euston by direct train.
- Patients travel because dual training in both Mohs surgery and plastic surgery is genuinely rare nationally, not because local options don’t exist.
- A UK-wide survey found an estimated 98 Mohs surgeons practising across the whole country, with an average wait of over 17 weeks.
- An e-consultation can confirm whether travelling is worthwhile before committing to an in-person visit.
If you’re searching for Mohs surgery in London, it’s worth being upfront: this practice is based in North West England, not London. Patients travel from London and across the UK anyway, and the reason usually isn’t distance, it’s the difficulty of finding a surgeon trained in both Mohs surgery and plastic reconstruction.
Why “Mohs surgery in London” is a hard search to satisfy locally
Mohs surgery is a specialist skill, not something every dermatology or plastic surgery unit offers. A national survey published in the British Journal of Dermatology put the total number of Mohs surgeons practising across the entire UK at an estimated 98, spread across just over 32 units.
London has several of those units. What it has far fewer of is a surgeon who is also fellowship-trained in reconstructive plastic surgery, which is the specific combination this search is often really about.
How rare dual training in Mohs and plastic surgery actually is
Most Mohs surgeons are dermatologists who remove the cancer and then refer elsewhere, often to a different hospital or a different appointment altogether, for anything beyond a simple stitched closure.
Miss Rakhee Nayar is one of fewer than 10 women in the UK dual-trained in both plastic surgery and Mohs micrographic surgery, meaning cancer removal and reconstruction can often happen with the same surgeon, sometimes the same day. Why combining Mohs and plastic surgery improves outcomes covers what that combination changes in practice.
What London patients are usually actually looking for
Searching “Mohs surgery London” is rarely about the postcode. It’s usually one of three things: wanting the cancer removal and the reconstruction handled by one surgeon, wanting a second opinion after a local diagnosis, or wanting faster access than a long referral chain allows.
If you’re still confirming that Mohs surgery, specifically, is what your diagnosis needs, what Mohs micrographic surgery actually involves is a useful starting point.
The journey from London, in practical terms
Direct trains from London Euston reach Crewe in around 1.5 to 2 hours, putting most of the clinics this practice operates from within a comfortable day trip, or an overnight stay if your procedure runs into a second appointment.
Because Mohs surgery often finishes with reconstruction on the same visit, many patients find one longer trip works out simpler than several shorter local appointments spread across separate referrals.
NHS waiting times and why some patients don’t wait
Suspected skin cancer in the UK is meant to be seen quickly. NHS England’s two-week-wait pathway guidance sets out the standard for how fast a suspected case should be seen by a specialist after referral.
That standard covers the first appointment, not necessarily surgery itself. The same British Journal of Dermatology survey found the average wait for Mohs surgery specifically running to over 17 weeks nationally, which is why some patients choose to see a specific specialist privately rather than wait for a local slot to open up.
Starting with an e-consultation before you travel
You don’t need to book travel before knowing whether the trip is worthwhile. An e-consultation, reviewing your lesion photographs, biopsy results, and history remotely, gives an initial view on whether an in-person visit and Mohs surgery are appropriate for your case.
What to bring and how that first conversation works, whether remote or in person, is covered by scheduling a Mohs consultation in the UK.
Weighing the cost of travelling against a local option
Travel and, occasionally, an overnight stay are real costs worth factoring in honestly, alongside the price of the procedure itself. What’s typically covered, and what to expect to pay directly, is set out by insurance and self-pay for private Mohs surgery in the UK.
A local surgeon who can offer the same combination of cancer removal and reconstruction may be the simpler choice if one is genuinely available to you. Travelling tends to make sense specifically when that combination isn’t available locally, not as a default.
Deciding whether to travel
If you’d like to find out whether travelling from London is worthwhile for your specific case, Miss Rakhee Nayar’s full training background is set out here, and any surgeon’s credentials can be verified directly through the GMC’s public registers before booking anywhere.
Get in touch through the contact page to arrange an e-consultation or an in-person appointment.
FAQ
Is there a Mohs surgeon in London?
Yes, several London units offer Mohs surgery. What’s harder to find, in London or anywhere in the UK, is a surgeon dual-trained in both Mohs surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery, which is what leads some patients to travel.
Do I need a referral to travel for Mohs surgery outside London?
A referral or your existing biopsy results help, but an e-consultation can often review your case first, so you know whether travelling is worthwhile before arranging anything formal.
How far is the clinic from London?
Direct trains from London Euston reach Crewe in around 1.5 to 2 hours, putting the practice’s North West England clinics within a day trip for most patients.
Is it worth travelling instead of using a local surgeon?
It depends on what a local surgeon can offer. If cancer removal and reconstruction would mean two separate referrals locally, one trip to a dual-trained specialist can sometimes be simpler overall, but a genuinely equivalent local option is often the easier choice.
How long does the whole process take if I’m travelling from London?
Most Mohs surgery appointments run half a day to a full day. Some reconstructions are completed the same visit, while others need a second appointment, which is worth planning your travel around in advance.
Recommended
- About Miss Rakhee Nayar
- How to schedule a Mohs consultation in the UK
- Insurance & Self-Pay: Private Mohs Surgery UK
- What is Mohs Micrographic Surgery?
Filed under Choosing Your Care
