Pages: 36 - 42
Article topics: Ankle brachial pressure index, Community, Compression Therapy, Venous leg ulcers
Increasing pressures experienced within community nursing are having detrimental effects on the care and treatment provided to patients. Among these is the management of venous leg ulcers, where a culture of passivity has possibly developed, resulting in significant delays in measuring patients’ ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) and reduction in the use of full, therapeutic compression therapy. As pressures increase, so does the financial burden on the NHS and associated psychosocial impact often experienced by patients living with lower limb ulcers. Urgent reform of leg ulcer services is required to better manage these conditions and improve the quality of care received by patients. This article provides evidence from examples of successful service transformation, and puts forward recommendations for future practice.