Resources

Wound care in the UK has long been overlooked, often treated as a consequence of underlying health conditions rather than a distinct medical concern. However, as the prevalence of chronic wounds continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly evident that this perspective is unsustainable. Chronic wounds impact around 7% of the UK population, imposing a substantial burden on both patients and the healthcare system, with the NHS spending over £8.3 billion annually to manage the issue (Making wound care work: 9). Despite these alarming figures, wound care services remain understaffed and undervalued, straining to meet the rising demand for their expertise (Making wound care work: 4). 

One of the most prevalent challenges associated with tackling malnutrition is the misunderstanding that surrounds it leading to this condition going unrecognised and untreated. Malnutrition can commonly be incorrectly understood as an inevitable
result of the aging process, or a problem only faced by those living in the most extreme poverty. However, it is acutely important to understand that malnutrition caused by disease
and illness is a widespread problem in the UK, and nurses can and do play an important role in identifying and managing malnutrition in their patients, clients or service users.

Vaping is often seen as a lessharmful alternative to smoking cigarettes, and while this may
be true in some respects, it is not without its dangers. Understanding how this relatively new phenomenon of vaping could develop into a health concern and even an addiction was of real importance to the author’s team at the UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT) Group, hence the launch of an addiction prevalence survey towards the end of 2022.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) held its annual Awards Ceremonies on 8th December in London. Two ceremonies were held, including the presentation of some of the most prestigious awards in nursing, including: 

• The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Service
• Fellowship of the Institute
• The Queen’s Nurse title
• The International Community Nurse of the Year Award
• Presentation of the QNI Gold Badge.

This is the third and final article in the Long Covid (LC) series, which presents and discusses the ongoing development of the Leeds Long Covid Community Rehabilitation Service (LLCCRS), highlighting the digital interventions used to assist with symptom management
and barriers to overcome to achieve this, the importance of involving people with LC (PwLC) within service development as well as two of the most recent service evaluations of new digital interventions — virtual group assessments (VGA), and Covid-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19 YRS) mobile application (app).

The purpose of this article is to present a scenario of a typical patient at risk of developing pressure damage and demonstrate how to complete the assessment and implement a prevention plan using the aSSKINg framework (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, 2020).  By following these recommendations, healthcare professionals can demonstrate good preventative care, reduce the risk of patients developing pressure damage, and protect their organisation against any future litigation claims (Downie, 2014).

The first article in this two-part series looking at faecal incontinence (FI) outlined its effect on people’s quality of life, highlighted its prevalence, explained the different definitions
available and summarised the anatomy and physiology of the lower intestinal tract (Yates, 2023). Here, part two concentrates on the multiple causes/risks of FI, the knowledge and skills r equired to complete a basic assessment and initiate conservative therapies, including the role of medication and pelvic floor rehabilitation, and also discusses management options for FI.

There is a rising demand for health services due to an ageing population with  increasingly complex healthcare needs. Across the country, there are substantial  pressures on hospital beds, with people experiencing lengthy waits to be admitted and ambulances facing difficulties handing patients to emergency departments. Contributing
to this is the large number of people remaining in hospital despite being clinically ready to leave — referred to as a ‘delayed discharge’. In December 2022, an average of 13,440 patients a day remained in hospital despite no longer meeting the criteria to stay. This is 30% more than the daily average for December 2021 (House of Commons Library, 2023). As well as increasing pressures on hospital capacity, delayed discharges can lead to poorer outcomes for individuals and ontribute to a loss of independence. Having a method of discharging patients and preventing bed blocking is therefore essential in
managing patient flow and subsequently enhancing patient quality of life. The Care Act (2014) placed a statutory responsibility on local authorities to provide services which prevent or delay the need for care and support, or minimise the need for additional care and support (Department of Health, 2014). One such initiative that was reported to be commonplace among local authorities during this period is ‘singlehanded care’.

This article provides a summary of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) report published in 2021 for dermatology (NHS England, 2021a). It puts it into perspective within the national scene of reviewing National Health Service provision across the UK for various hospital-based medical and surgical specialties. It highlights the key concerns raised and the suggestions made to improve patient care for those presenting with dermatological conditions, with a focus on issues affecting those working within primary and community care settings. All the information can be found in the report itself. Further resources to support access to training and clinical pathways are listed in Box 1. The GIRFT report also highlights case studies and examples of services that have implemented initiatives and service redesign to address the recommendations made.

Hypertension is common and is a cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Many affected are unaware that they have a problem, and it is found opportunistically when their blood pressure is recorded during a consultation for another problem. If the disease is inadequately treated, it can have potentially fatal outcomes. Nurses and non-medical prescribers are likely to come across patients with raised blood pressure readings during routine clinic appointments. This article hopes to give them a better understanding of the condition, its treatment and complications, with the aim of reducing the risk of serious problems and improving outcomes for all those affected by this potentially dangerous condition.