News

Partners of Yorkshire & Humber AHSN have been chosen to lead one of England’s first implementation sites as part of a nationwide programme that seeks to improve the care of wounds.

The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) has announced the Humber region to be one of four areas in England to become a ‘First Tranche’ implementation site and is to be led by Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust and City Healthcare Partnership with support from the AHSN.

The programme, which has been commissioned by NHS England and is being delivered by the AHSN Network, is looking to improve access to wound care, reduce referral times between different services involved and speed up healing time.

Focusing on improving care relating to lower leg wounds, pressure ulcers and surgical wounds, the programme will work with patients on to effectively redesign services and care to implement the NWCSP recommendations to improve the prevention, assessment and treatment of people with chronic wounds.

As part of this work, the team will also explore ways in which data around wound care can be better managed and communicated as well as look at upskilling the workforce and creating digital innovation that will help to provide more consistent care for people with lower leg wounds wherever they are in the England.

Wound care services vary around the UK and it is estimated that approximately 1.5% of the adult population is affected by active leg and foot ulceration, which equates to 730,000 patients.

Speaking of the site announcements, Dr Una Adderley, Director of the NWCSP said: “We are very much looking forward to working with our colleagues in Hull as one of the NWCSP first tranche implementation sites.

“Their input will be important in testing the assumptions of our implementation case and developing a blueprint for national adoption of the NWCSP recommendations for improving lower limb care and adopting wound management digital systems.  Along the way, it will be great to improve wound care for patients and clinicians and make the best possible use of our NHS resources.”

Carol Waudby, Chief Operating Officer at City Health Care Partnership CIC said: “We are delighted to be working with colleagues at the Hull University Teaching Hospitals, NHS Trust and across primary and community care to enhance the care of local people living with lower leg wounds.

“Our vision is to transform the care received, using technology and innovation and ultimately reducing the recurrence of wounds and improving the quality of life of people experiencing lower leg wounds, via our involvement as a first tranche NWCSP implementation site.”

Dr George Smith from Hull University Teaching Hospitals said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring together all the staff involved and to arrange a system that will deliver the best possible care for people suffering with leg wounds.

“Closer working between the City Health Care Partnership and our hospital services, with the support of local patients and the National Wound Care Strategy offers an exciting opportunity and a clear path forward in this area.

“We hope to not only use the best available research evidence to treat all of our patients with wounds but to also collect data that will allow us to constantly review and improve our ways of working to get wounds to heal and prevent the suffering they can cause.”