Considered Wales’s biggest celebration of equality and diversity, over three days Pride Cymru hosted over 50,000 people in the Welsh capital to celebrate the LGBT+ community. This year, the All Wales Tissue Viability Nurse Forum, along with the Legs Matter campaign and TVN2gether and supported by JCN, Wound Care Today and industry partners, joined the parade on the 24th August to champion not only the cause, but also to raise awareness of lower limb issues by wearing rainbow-coloured stockings. Here, Julie Evans, tissue viability nurse at Swansea Bay University Health Board, talks about Pride and the All Wales Tissue Viability Nurse Forum’s involvement.
Huntleigh, a member of the Arjo family, are pleased to announce the UK release of a new innovative technology designed to assist in the management of hard-to-heal leg ulcers. Developed at the Arjo R&D faculty in Cardiff, the Wound Express™ Advanced Wound Therapy Device is designed to be used in conjunction with standard treatment techniques and has been shown to significantly reduce the size of venous and mixed aetiology hardto- heal wounds in some patients and heal other wounds completely in just eight weeks of use (Naik et al, 2019).
Appropriate and accurate assessment and management of lower limb wounds requires a timely, holistic assessment of the patient and their wound, including the recording of an ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) (Wounds UK, 2019a). A manual ABPI procedure requires advanced skills, using a handheld ABPI device, and is undertaken by a healthcare professional who is appropriately trained. In addition, the procedure is time consuming, taking a minimum of 40 minutes, and is subjective in its results, based on the technique and skill of the operator. This article describes an innovative service evaluation project that has seen the introduction of 20 automated ABPI machines into 19 general practices and a community vascular clinic in Staffordshire. The project has included the development of a care pathway, recruitment of wound champions, and training within each of the practices. Evaluation of the project is ongoing but tracks ABPI readings, assessment and wound management of patients, onward referrals and outcomes for patients, to ensure that the project’s potential to improve patient care is realised.
Indwelling urinary catheters remain one of the most commonly used clinically invasive devices across the NHS and social care in the UK. The problems associated with the prolonged use of catheters are widely referenced. Healthcare-acquired infections (HCAIs) currently result in 5,000 preventable deaths a year, with 20% of all HCAIs associated with the urinary tract. Many staff have learned catheterisation techniques in their early careers, with no need for a formal review of skills and knowledge. This has perhaps contributed to some historical and now outdated tasks still being performed. The evidence for best practice when managing indwelling catheters is reflected in national and international guidelines, which have recently undergone a complete overhaul. This article explores common practices and best practice evidence to assist with safe and effective management of these essential but often risky devices.
The effect of drugs on mental and physical health are well documented. However, these consequences do not necessarily prevent people using them either recreationally or more regularly, with some becoming addicted to their drug or drugs of choice. It is estimated that in 2016/17, around one in 12 (8.5%) adults aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales had taken an illicit drug in the last year (NHS Digital, 2018). Ketamine has become increasingly popular, especially among younger users, as it is cheap and mistakenly seen as a ‘safe’, non-addictive drug. However, the reality is that even recreational use may have serious consequences. The effect on the urinary system can be devastating, with users experiencing anything from frequency and cystitis-like symptoms, to extreme debilitating pain from the inflamed and shrunken bladder, resulting in cystectomy and urinary diversion, and, if the kidneys are affected, renal failure and dialysis.
With an ageing population and an evolving NHS, many services traditionally provided in the hospital setting are moving to the community. This article examines the development of a community nurse-led intravenous (IV) therapy service. The author explains the background to IV therapy, particularly in the field of antibiotic provision, the development of the nurse-led service and how the service transformed the experiences of patients, allowing them to access care closer to home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. The author also provides a case study, which details the benefits of the nurse-led IV therapy service for an individual patient.
Here, Ellie Lindsay OBE, independent specialist practitioner, associate lecturer, CRICP, London and visiting fellow, Queensland University of Technology, and Laura Talbot, clinical audit consultant for the Lindsay Leg Club Foundation, discuss why effective communication is important in clinical practice to help improve the quality of life for individuals living with a PICC line in situ. This feature also recounts Ellie Lindsay’s own personal experience of watching her husband undergo a period of intense cancer treatment, and the difference made by the communication skills and teamwork of healthcare professionals involved once in the correct haematology unit.
Here, a focus group of tissue viability specialists (Box 1) look at the GIRFT programme and how by working together, clinicians and industry can help to prevent variations in wound care.
