References

Blackburn J, Ousey K, Stephenson J. Nurses' Education, Confidence, and Competence in Appropriate Dressing Choice. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2019; 32:(10)470-476 https://doi.org/10.1097/01.asw.0000577132.81124.88

Fearns N, Heller-Murphy S, Kelly J, Harbour J. Placing the patient at the centre of chronic wound care: A qualitative evidence synthesis. J Tissue Viability. 2017; 26:(4)254-259 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtv.2017.09.002

Mölnlycke. Making wound care work: Rebuilding services for the 3.8 million people living with a wound in the UK. 2022a. https://www.molnlycke.co.uk/contentassets/edf1a334aadd4bcea31bf27621f45d77/making-wound-care-work---may-2022.pdf (accessed 24 April 2023)

Mölnlycke. Making Wound Care Work. 2022b. https://www.molnlycke.co.uk/campaigns/making-wound-care-work/ (accessed 24 April 2023)

Chronic Wound Care Survey - Report on Findings. On file. 2021;

Welsh Wound Innovation Centre. Annual Report 2017. 2017. https://www.wwic.wales/uploads/files/documents/Publications/Annual%20Report%202016.pdf (accessed 24 April 2023)

Patients and healthcare professionals join forces to drive up standards in wound care

02 May 2023
Volume 28 · Issue 5

It has been estimated that 3.8 million people in the UK live with a chronic wound (Mölnlycke, 2022a). Wounds can negatively impact an individual's social, psychological and physical well-being, causing pain, discomfort and loss of mobility, affecting their quality of life (Fearns et al, 2017). Unhealed wounds can have a notable effect on a patient's mental health, leading to anxiety and depression (Fearns et al, 2017).

A report published by Making Wound Care Work estimated that one in fifty people in Britain currently rely on wound care services, but variation in standards means that patients are having mixed experiences across the country (Mölnlycke, 2022a). During the COVID-19 pandemic, 42% of wound care patients stated that the place where they usually receive care had changed, with 29% trying to receive care in person (either at a clinic or via home care services), but failing (The Patient Association, 2021). More so, 33% of patients reported managing their own wounds due to the pandemic (Blackburn et al, 2019).

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