Partnership Resources

This article outlines the development of a community tissue viability service over the same five-year-period in which a number of national issues with wound care were identified through research. These included a lack of evidence-based practice, a changing community workforce and an unwarranted variation in care attributed to a lack of education and training among generalist practitioners. The author describes how a proactive approach was taken to local service development to address these issues, and how partnership working with both colleagues and industry enabled improved wound care education delivery and uptake among a generalist community workforce. These measures resulted in a reduced spend on wound care dressings year on year, despite a predicted trend for increasing costs nationally.

The day we got the announcement from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) confirming our nursing and telehealth service had been awarded ‘outstanding’, I felt so proud. I also thought about all the NHS nurses who are so incredibly tired and hardworking, and I wished they could all be told they too are outstanding. For after the 18 months they have had, they completely deserve it. 
Of course, I already knew that the staff we have and the service we provide is truly outstanding, but having the CQC confirm this, is such a fantastic recognition of the hard work the team at Coloplast put in every single day to make life easier for people living with intimate healthcare needs. Receiving this rating means that Coloplast is the only one in its field to have received an ‘outstanding’ rating for a service like this in England.
Our extensive experience in developing products and services for people with deeply personal medical conditions, which are often associated with trauma and taboo, means that we know it makes sense to be able to deliver care based around a person, removing some of the administrative burden, plus treating them, where possible, in a place of their choice. This administrative burden includes finding information about lifestyle, returning to work, going on holidays, diet and nutrition. We can also arrange for the collection of the GP prescription when needed and signpost to other sources
or support services.
Our CQC accredited service can be trusted to deliver for patients, their families and the NHS.

Sue Thomas and Dr Douglas MacMahon discuss the meaning of intermediate care as outlined in the NSF for Older People

Sue Thomas RGN RM DN CPT BA (Hons) Health Visiting is Nursing Policy and Practice Adviser Royal College of Nursing. Dr Douglas MacMahon MB FRCP is a Consultant Physician, Cornwall Healthcare Trust; Senior Lecturer University of Plymouth.
Article accepted for publication February 2001.

Bridget Taylor discusses the concept of compliance and non-compliance in the context of nurse-patient partnerships.
Bridget Taylor BA (Hons), RGN, DN Cert, Cert Ed, Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University.
Article accepted for publication February 2001.