An integrated programme has been set up by the Scottish Government to provide a coherent and co-ordinated national approach to tissue viability throughout Scotland. This will improve the overall quality of care and reduce the incidence of wounds and wound infections. The first aspect of the programme is to address pressure ulcers.
A pressure ulcer is an area of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue due to occlusion of the blood vessels, which leads to cell death. They are caused by pressure, shear, friction plus a number of other variables linked to an individual's underlying condition.
Pressure ulcers affect up to 1 in 5 patients attending for acute medical care in the course of a year and usually occur over bony prominences and are graded to classify the degree of damage sustained. There are currently no prevalence or incidence figures available for Scotland.
Facts about Pressure Ulcers:
• as much as 4% NHS spending in the UK is consumed by pressure ulcer care,
• the estimated annual cost of pressure ulcers in the UK is approximately £2 Billion
• clinicians believe as many as 95% of pressure ulcers are preventable with
appropriate care and intervention
Pressure ulcers and other wounds cause considerable harm to patients both physically and psychologically. They delay functional recovery, frequently cause pain and may lead to the development of serious infections and they have also been associated with an extended hospital stay. Pressure ulcer prevention is paramount to patient safety and is a key clinical quality indicator of the care the patient receives. Pressure ulcer prevention is also highlighted as one of the key topic areas of the Scottish Patient Safety Alliance Programme.
The programme addressing pressure ulcers is for all staff in Scotland who have any responsibility for tissue viability, whether they are clinical support workers, nursing staff or from the allied health professions and it is aimed at raising awareness of best practice in pressure ulcer prevention and tissue viability care.
National Collaboration
A multi-agency group has been set up made up of key staff representing NHS
Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS),NHS Education for Scotland (NES),tissue viability experts, NHS boards, the care home sector and allied health professionals who have a responsibility in delivering this exciting agenda to improve tissue viability care for their patients.
How are we going to do this?
A strategy document forms the outline of the project. This will be transformed into a toolkit, the existing best practice statements will be reviewed and republished and educational materials. We hope to build on work already developed by practitioners in Scotland. We will hold a number of events throughout the year to include focus groups, regional facilitator and national consultation events, in Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Facilitated workshops will seek the comments and opinions of the delegates. Your responses to the consultation documents will inform the Toolkit.
So where do we begin?
Work Streams
There will be a number of different work streams to ensure the programme
meets the needs of patients and key stakeholders
• Pressure Ulcer Prevalence Methodology
• Pressure Ulcer Grading
• Best Practice Statements
• Care Bundles
• Education
• Toolkit
Best Practice Statement ~ March 2005
Local Facilitators
To ensure work starts quickly we are inviting a nomination of one or two facilitators from each NHS Board and nominations from the care home sector. These facilitators will form part of a professional learning community to share best practice, receive training and support and facilitate the implementation of the practice development programme. These facilitators could be people who are already working in clinical practice, tissue viability, clinical effectiveness/governance or in practice/professional development.
So how can I get involved?
If you would like to be involved in this exciting programme or would like further information please contact
Dr Susan Baxter
National Tissue Viability Programme Manager
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
Practice Development Unit
Elliott House
8-10 Hillside Crescent
Edinburgh
EH7 5EA
Direct line: 0131 623 4745
susan.baxter2@nhs.net
