Click here for the Wounds UK Home Page January 2006

Changes to procurement policy have the potential to impact on patient care   Conferences to look forward to	Usually the turkey (or nut roast if you prefer) is still being digested when we pledge to eat less and exercise more for the new year. For many the Christmas holiday is all too short and is merely an interruption in what is the busiest time of year. I am of course referring to those working in busy clinical and community areas. This can be among the most stressful and difficult times of year to be working in tissue viability. This year would appear to have the added threat of being a particularly cold winter, which again have a direct impact on nursing workloads. My own recollections are of huge demands for pressure reducing mattresses, a shortage of beds and large numbers of acutely ill patients, who as we know, are at risk of skin damage. These patients may often also have a number of concurrent problem which will adversely affect the wound healing process. This busy period may also be compounded by the fact the many tissue viability specialists work on their own, and for me personally this was the case for a short time. I quickly realised that in order to survive the winter and beyond, I needed to establish a team. My first port of call were the tissue viability link nurses who were keen and enthusiastic but also had more than tissue viability to consider. I was quick to recognise that part of the role of the TVN is to coordinate the multidisciplinary team in order to help cope with the demands of the winter crisis. Getting the podiatrists on board was an excellent step and we learned a lot from each other - although we still debate which foot problems needed moisture and which didn't. Working closely with medical staff also pays off, as they are less likely to treat your ideas negatively if you involve them early. Other key personnel include dieticians, orthotists, pain team and pharmacists, for whom I have the utmost respect and regards for their unique and valuable contribution to the holistic care of the patient So what am I trying to say? I think the message is clear, that good teams of people with good lines of communication are likely to perform much more effectively. I would also like to add that collaboration is the way forward, not only in wound management but in all aspects of health care. I would urge you this year not only to attempt to collaborate more within your own area but to look beyond this and get networking in a national and international context. John Timmons Editor Email: John.Timmons@gcal.ac.uk	References Latest journal references

Changes to procurement policy have the potential to impact on patient care The NHS, despite large increases in funding over the past decade, is continuing to battle against spiralling costs. The Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) in England and Wales and in Scotland the NPO (National procurement organisation) have both begun to look into bulk purchasing of dressings as a way of saving costs to the NHS. On the surface this would appear to be a common sense proposal and this may well turn out to be the case. The problems lie in ensuring that the correct people are consulted about such proposals in order to help guarantee that the patients and clinicians are not disadvantaged. While we all realise that the NHS has to make changes and cuts in spending in order to continue to serve the nation, it is also essential that the bottom line is not always the important factor in making purchasing decisions. Both PASA and the NPO have assured Tissue viability nurses that they will be involved in the relevant decision making processes and therefore all that remains is to await the final reports of these organisations.   Keep reading for: Conferences to look forward to Download this newsletter in PDF format Conferences to look forward to Wounds UK will be hosting a number of conferences this year including a focus on dermatology in wound care, this first time these specialities have been brought together for a conference of this kind. The conference will take place in June this year. Paediatric wound care and a summer conference, as well as the Scottish and Harrogate conferences, will also be taking place, details of which can be found on the Wounds UK homepage. The EWMA conference will take place in May (18-20) this year in Prague and is focussing on education in wound management/tissue viability. Keep reading for: Latest journal references Download this newsletter in PDF format References Federman, D. G.; Enis, D. R.; Kravetz, J. D.; Sethi, A.; Heald, P. W.; Kirsner, R. S (2005) Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: Report of a Fatal Case of Recurrent Disease and Literature Review WOUNDS VOL 17; NUMB 11 pp. 296-303 Goode, M. L. (2005) Giving information on compression to patients with venous leg ulcers BRITISH JOURNAL OF NURSING -LONDON- MARK ALLEN PUBLISHING LIMITED- VOL 14; NUMB 22; p. 1178 Harding, K. G.; Moore, K.; Phillips, T. J (2005) Wound chronicity and fibroblast senescence - implications for treatment INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL VOL 2; NUMBER 4; pp. 364-368 Holloway, S.; Jones, V.(2005) The importance of skin care and assessment BRITISH JOURNAL OF NURSING -LONDON- MARK ALLEN PUBLISHING LIMITED- VOL 14; NUMB 22; pp. 1172-1177 Houreld, N.; Abrahamse, H (2005) Low-level laser therapy for diabetic foot wound healing DIABETIC FOOT VOL 8; NUMB 4 pp. 182-193 Mosti, G.; Iabichella, M. L.; Picerni, P.; Magliaro, A.; Mattaliano, V (2005) The debridement of hard to heal leg ulcers by means of a new device based on Fluidjet technology INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL VOL 2; NUMBER 4; pp. 307-314 Nelson, E. A Watson, J.; (2006) An exploration of the use of ultrasound in the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers JOURNAL OF WOUND CARE VOL 15; NUMB 1;pp. 39-43 Norden, WOUNDS VOL 17; NUMB 11P. S.; Phillips, T. J (2005) Brown Recluse Spider Bite: A Rare Cause of Necrotic Wounds pp. 304-312 Selkon, J. B.; Cherry, G. W.; Wilson, J. M.; Hughes, M. A (2006) Evaluation of hypochlorous acid washes in the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers JOURNAL OF WOUND CARE VOL 15; NUMB 1; pp. 33-38 Son, D.; Han, K.; Chang, D. W. (2005) Extending the limits of fingertip composite grafting with moist-exposed dressing INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL VOL 2; NUMBER 4 pp. 315-321 Steenvoorde, P.; Jacobi, C. E.; Oskam, J (2005) Maggot Debridement Therapy: Free-Range or Contained? An In-Vivo Study ADVANCES IN SKIN AND WOUND CARE VOL 18; NUMB 8; pp. 430-436 Wipke-Tevi, D. D.; Sae-Sia, W (2005) Management of Vascular Leg Ulcers ADVANCES IN SKIN AND WOUND CARE VOL 18; NUMB 8 pp. 437-444   Download this newsletter in PDF format