Considering claims against the NHS

In 2020/21 NHS Resolution received 12 629 clinical negligence claims and reported incidents, compared with 11 678 in 2019/20. This represents an increase of 951 (7.5%). The total included 973 new...

The new Care Quality Commission inspection procedures

The CQC was created in 2009 following the merger of three regulatory organisations: the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health...

NHS trusts must continue to tackle racism

Sam Roger, NHS England and NHS improvement strategy and policy lead for the WRES (Roger, 2020), set out four key lessons to help make improvements:.

The benefits of using a first generation SEM scanner versus an equipment selection pathway in preventing HAPUs

At the start of the PU improvement work in 2012–2013 there was a rise in reporting of all PU in acute sites, as was expected. Once improvement work started to identify effective strategies, a...

The aetiology of medical device-related pressure ulcers and how to prevent them

The aetiology of MDRPUs is exemplified here through two common clinical scenarios—of a CPAP mask that is being used extensively in the current COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 2), and of a doughnut-shaped...

The influence of anaemia on pressure ulcer healing in elderly patients

Anaemia is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)(2011) as a blood disorder in which haemoglobin levels are below 120 g/litre in females and 130 g/litre in males. This is a condition...

Prevention and management of moisture-associated skin damage

A major function of healthy, intact skin (Figure 2) is the maintenance of a physical barrier against the external environment. This prevents the entry of noxious substances and pathogens, as well as...

Preventing medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI)

The skin is the largest organ of the body and performs many critical functions. It is a physical barrier to microorganisms and irritants. The pH of the skin has an antimicrobial function, so assists...

Improving care for ‘Cinderella’ patients with non-diabetic lower limb wounds