Resources

Caring for patients with wounds is part and parcel of daily community caseloads. With an ageing population and more complex community cases, frailty is inevitably becoming more of an issue. This should never be considered in isolation, but rather as part of a wider picture interrelating with other agerelated factors, such as ageing skin, increased susceptibility to skin tears, and other underlying health conditions that may complicate  wound healing.

Compression bandaging can present a challenge to healthcare professionals. Some clinicians may not have the necessary skills and training to safely and competently apply it, while others may be using it but not in accordance with the evidence base. As clinicians, it is our responsibility to make sure that our knowledge and skills are up to date so that we can  deliver evidence-based care to patients and do no harm (Abu-Baker et al, 2021). The NHS Long Term Plan emphasised the importance of placing the patient at the heart of their care with their experiences, needs and preferences considered when developing a care plan with them (NHS England, 2019).

Continence problems in children are more common than many people know — indeed, 1.5 million children in the UK are affected by bladder and bowel issues (Paediatric  Continence Forum [PCF], 2024).

These conditions are lifechanging for families, with children experiencing pain and discomfort, and wellbeing effects like missing out on schooling and socialising.

As a GP, I see a lot of people with dementia and their carers, and I also see those who are concerned that they may have dementia. These numbers have increased significantly since Covid, as people avoided seeing their GP and did not come forward if they had concerns.

The British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG) is a unique membership organisation, focused primarily, on offering accessible educational content for those working with skin.
The organisation has roughly 4000 members comprising a range of health disciplines and offers a variety of educational resources supporting those working in clinical practice for
a small fee of £20 annually.

Over 3.8 million people in the UK are living with chronic wounds — and how they are managed can shape a person’s quality of life, for better or worse (Mölnlycke Health Care, 2022). However, their management often falls low on the priority list, and the system pressures facing the NHS since the Covid-19 pandemic have exacerbated the problem. This means that patients are facing worsening outcomes through inadequate services — and are paying the price with their physical and mental health.

The impact of ageing on the body and its association with skin harm and frailty in relation to multimorbidity, comorbidity and polypharmacy is clearly described in the literature. The ageing population globally brings with it the challenge for healthcare professionals of managing individuals with increasingly complex and inter-related needs. This article considers ageing skin and skin tears within the context of frailty as a syndrome. It discusses what frailty is understood to be, how to recognise and assess for it, and how to consider risk and prevention of harm to the skin of the ageing person with frailty.

Lower limb ulcers are one of the most common chronic wounds in the UK and have a negative impact on health-related quality of life (Phillips et al, 2020). Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) often present with excessive exudate, which may damage the wound bed and
periwound skin; and therefore act as a barrier to wound healing. Cleaning and debridement are key to the management of devitalised tissue and exudate. Although debridement helps promote the healing of both arterial and venous leg ulcers, its use may be restricted by pain levels associated with the procedure (Claeys et al, 2011). Because pain can be a barrier to patients tolerating debridement, this may compromise the healing process (Roberts et al, 2019). A small-scale evaluation was recently completed to investigate the efficacy of wound debridement pads, together with patient perceptions of the treatment. The impact on pain and tolerance of pain during the use of
pads was explored. Spending time explaining the potential benefits of debridement on wound healing and listening to patient concerns appeared to have a positive impact on acceptance of treatment.

The aim of this article is to identify challenges for advanced practitioners within the district nursing services in remote and rural areas and the impact of the new Scottish GP contract. Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) working within the community providing care in patients’ homes have a wide skill base to draw upon. However, community care is often not reviewed or studied to identify the impact it makes to patients and the wider community.
This article looks at a review of the qualitative research provided by a search on CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO and Google scholar between 2019 to 2023. Studies needed to be about advanced practice in remote and rural areas with a focus on district or community
nursing. A separate search was conducted for reviews on the new Scottish GP contract and the impact on services this has had, using the same search engines and between the same dates. Articles that were based on ANPs working in GP practices were excluded.

Lymphoedema is a progressive long-term condition that detrimentally affects many aspects of quality of life — physical, emotional, and social. The introduction of lymphoedema patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has supported patients to communicate the psychological impact, raising concerns such as anxiety, fear, low
mood, and poor body image. However, some healthcare professionals report feeling ill-equipped to respond effectively to these needs. This study explored lymphoedema healthcare professionals (LHCP) psychological and emotional education needs. A Google Forms survey was developed based on literature and expert opinion and disseminated via email to all staff (120) within Lymphoedema Wales Clinical Network (LWCN). Data demonstrated statistically significant correlations between levels of perceived  confidence, perceived skills to discuss psychological issues, and level of psychological training received (p <0.001). However, nearly three-quarters of participants reported never receiving psychological training. This study represents the first step in  understanding psychological education needs of LHCP and indicates future  opportunities to potentially improve clinical practice in this area.