Sustainability - a buzzword that applies to so many aspects of our lives in 2023 – is also a key issue for the NHS. That the sustainability of the NHS is a significant concern has placed it high up the public agenda. At 75 years of age, our cherished NHS is part of the UK national story and everyone has their own relationship with it. Early this year, NHS England (2023a) released its 2023/24 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance, which addresses the need to recover core services and productivity, make progress in delivering the aspirations set out in The NHS Long Term Plan and transform the health and care sector to meet future needs.
These are all lofty ideals, so let us consider these in the context of wound care. Variations in care have been highlighted within the specialty, with the National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) (NHS England, 2023b) developing a range of resources to address the issue of suboptimal care. The programme has also addressed the issue of sustainability.
At the Wound Care Alliance UK (WCAUK) conference in Gloucester in May, the importance of information and empowerment was discussed. Being well informed is important in health care and the reources developed by the NWCSP, available free to health professionals, cover sustainability and lower limb wound care. At the conference, the latest resource, a webinar, was eloquently presented by Jacqui Fletcher. The webinar covers NWCSP recommendations and outlines a clinical pathway for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. A further resource currently under development is a pressure ulcer best practice bundle. This aims to provide guidance on reducing pressure ulcers and preventing associated harm, to improve patient outcomes and care experiences. I really encourage you to access these resources (https://www.nationalwoundcarestrategy.net).
Empowerment - becoming stronger, controlling one's life and asserting one's rights – is important for the patients we care for. A patient's ability to assert their rights for prevention, assessment, management and maintenance stems from being well informed about their potential risk or the presence of a specific wound. Historically, it was assumed that the professionals know best, but today there is an increasing desire to be more informed about our bodies, our health and our lives.
Key to being well informed is access to patient information. The NWCSP has a range of patient resources, developed in conjunction with a patient experience network. The process involved putting patients, carers and family members at the centre of shaping and improving care, with input from health professionals. Resources for patients on how to take a photograph of their wound and on the use of compression therapy to treat venous leg ulcers are already available. Although everyone is impatient to get their hand on these sooner rather than later, this is vital work and it is important that due process is followed with proper consultation and review.
Social media can be used more fully to ensure that these resources are accessed by those who really need them. However, we all have a role to play and, if the 5000 members of the WCAUK share their knowledge with 10 people, who in turn share it with 10 more, it will help widely disseminate the resources. The WCAUK is planning to develop an area of its website where resources can readily be shared. At the WCAUK conference several of you mentioned that you have resources you would be happy to share. Please email us with your details at info@wcauk.org
For those who expressed an interest in writing for publication at the conference, I encourage you to pursue this. It will be challenging and will take time, but you will find it rewarding. You could focus on areas of wound care specific to your practice, or on your management responsibilities. If you are thinking of writing up a case study, do not feel the need to focus on a particularly unusual scenario. Describing the type of case that is frequently encountered in practice can be extremely helpful. Guidance on writing for publication and additional information can be found at https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/page/authors
Finally, I hope you had a relaxing summer break. If you holidayed in the UK, you may have missed those odd glimpses of sun.