RESUMO
BACKGROUND: A minor operations clinic has been providing a "one-stop shop" at our regional New Zealand hospital for the past decade to service management of skin lesions. This study aims to assess demographics, service characteristics, clinical standards and cost-savings from this setup, and to identify areas for improvement and potentially provide a model for other health units. METHODS: All patients seen between May 2009 and June 2019 were prospectively included. Data includes demographics, waitlist period, referral sources, follow-up destinations, histology including involvement of margins and cost. RESULTS: A total of 4,926 patients were included, with 6,442 procedures overall. Median age was 72 years old. The main source of referrals was primary care. The majority of patients were returned directly to primary care. Median wait-time was 66 days, and this remained static over the decade. 56.6% of excised lesions yielded malignant histology and 90.1% achieved clear margins. There was a calculated saving of NZ$607.00 per patient with our one-stop shop compared to our previous traditional model. A further calculated saving of NZ$452,028.50 was achieved by diverting complex procedures from requiring operating theatre environments. CONCLUSIONS: Our model provides successful, streamlined and cost-effective treatment of skin lesions for our community. This model (or aspects of) may be similarly effective in other regional centres.