The summer months can be a time for many of us to take a professional breath and reflect on the first half of the year: accomplishments, challenges and the way forward. The schedule of life has never been so full and the world of tissue viability is having an extraordinary year. Whatever your forte, skin health and wound care issues have been at the forefront of nursing practice this year, pioneering innovation, collaboration and campaigns.
Events past and future
A dynamic succession of conferences at home and abroad have set the scene for the year, leading the way for person-centred wound care. In April, the Society of Tissue Viability (SoTV) held its annual conference in Peterborough, with updates from the National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP), with several interactive workshops and thought-provoking presentations.
I had the pleasure of presenting with colleagues from King's College London on ‘How do we make patient-centred care a reality and how do we measure the outcomes?’
In May, the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) held its conference in Milan, Italy, with an exciting programme and a focus on ‘Wound Care: From Art to Science’.
EWMA and SoTV will hold a joint conference in London on 1-3 May 2024. For more information visit the EWMA website (https://ewma.org). We welcome the conference back to London after the interruption of COVID-19 and are looking forward to seeing many of you in London for a fantastic event next year!
In April, Ellie Lindsay OBE, along with Derek Thomas MP, hosted a Parliamentary reception ‘Shining a Light on a Hidden Problem’ to raise awareness around lower limb conditions and the sub-optimal treatment people with these conditions receive. The message was clear from the outset: ‘enough is enough’. Read more about the event and watch the amazing presentations on The Leg Club Channel on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@thelegclubchannel2739). You can read the manifesto and sign the petition, which is calling for a few simple and achievable steps to be taken (https://www.legclub.org/manifesto). As a trustee of the Lindsay Leg Club Foundation and a clinician, researcher and academic in the field of lower limb care, I am passionate about improving the lives of people living with leg ulceration.
I was particularly moved by the emotive lived experience of Karen Davey, who presented her personal journey and the reality of the disparity of care in a postcode lottery era at the Parliamentary reception.
I was also interested to hear from Lukla Biasi, Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon and Subspecialty Lead for Lower Limb Revascularisaton at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, who presented an engaging talk on the clinical challenges for patients living with peripheral arterial disease at the reception.
I look forward to joining everyone at the next Leg Club Conference ‘Let's Talk Veins: An Uphill Journey’ on 27 and 28 September at Worcestershire County Cricket Club where I will be presenting, along with many esteemed colleagues. An event not to be missed!
Legs Matter delivered an engaging and challenging campaign week from 12 to 16 June, raising the alarm on the hidden harm crisis in the treatment of leg and foot conditions. The campaign is ongoing throughout the year, with useful resources and information (at https://legsmatter.org).
The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel is coming to the UK. The 23rd Annual Meeting will be held from 13 to 15 September in Leeds, with the focus on ‘Innovations in Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment’. Find out more at https://epuap2023.org
A tribute
On a personal note, I was deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of the Rt Hon Ann Clwyd, who died peacefully at her home in Cardiff on 21 July 2023. Ann was a formidable woman whom I had the pleasure of knowing and working with. Ann was the Labour MP for the Cynon Valley constituency for over 34 years and a passionate campaigner, from advocating for the Welsh miners to supporting the Kurdish minority in Iraq. Ann was a great believer in improving standards in the NHS and, as such, in 2013 the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, asked her to lead a review of how hospitals in England handled complaints.
I first met Ann Clwyd in July 2019, when I was honoured to receive a personal invitation to attend the parliamentary debate on ‘Lower Limb Wound Care’. Ann brought to the House and to a greater political audience her own personal experience of living with a leg ulcer.
Describing it as ‘the most painful thing I have ever come across,’ she arrived at Parliament straight from her hospital bed to speak on the subject of lower limb wound care. She said: ‘…wound care is a massive challenge to the NHS, but it currently lacks priority, investment and direction. I want to push the Government, if they need pushing, on the need for urgent action and the development of a strategy across care providers to improve the standard of wound care.’
Ann urged the Government to ensure all patients have access to high-quality lower limb wound care by supporting the work of the NWCSP to improve the quality of wound care.
She also supported my work raising awareness of leg ulceration for people experiencing homelessness (Single Homeless Project, 2021).
Ann, you were a force to be reckoned with and thank you for your kindness and service. Her obituary is available on the BBC News website (BBC News, 2023).
It's amazing how people from across different areas of life can come into your world. Meeting people from all walks of life continues to enrich my own experience of life in the most profound way. My take home message is: embrace meeting new people, get out there and make your voice heard!