The Newcastle Hospitals is dedicated to preventing the development of pressure ulcers wherever possible.
Pressure ulcers (also known as pressure sores or bedsores) are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue, primarily caused by prolonged pressure on the skin.
They can happen to anyone, but usually affect people confined to bed or who sit in a chair or wheelchair for long periods of time. There is also a greater risk of pressure ulceration when a person may be less mobile than usual due to illness or following surgery.
Pressure ulcers can affect any part of the body that’s put under pressure. They’re most common on bony parts of the body, such as the heels, elbows, hips and base of the spine.
They often develop gradually, but can sometimes form in just a few hours. Pain and redness are often the very first signs of pressure damage – when this is identified quickly pressure ulceration can sometimes be prevented.
The Tissue Viability Team
Our team provide advice and support to patients and their carers, and allied health professionals who are caring for patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers.
What our team can do for you
- Provide support, guidance and education around pressure ulcer prevention and management
- Discuss pressure ulcer knowledge in clinical areas to scope level of understanding
- Increase knowledge by delivering bespoke education to individuals to teams
- Foster a positive culture of skin checks acting as role models to ensure the importance of skin checks are understood by all members of the team and that associated documentation is clear
- Ensure processes are in place to educate patients and / or relatives/carers around pressure ulcer prevention
- Ensure clinical areas and staff comply with best clinical practice as set out in the Trust’s Policies and Guidelines with regards to skin care and pressure ulcer prevention and management
- Be aware of specialist products that are available on the market and when to use them to support pressure ulcer prevention and treatment
- Collaborate with other disciplines to prevent pressure damage and/or manage pressure ulcers
Key messages
- Check Skin – Act on red
- Reposition ‘at risk’ patients – two hourly in hospital
- Two hourly repositioning in the patient’s home is not always possible therefore the patient will be repositioned following individualised assessment from a registered healthcare professional
- Consider the need for pressure preventative equipment
- Heels up
- Educate patients so that they know what to look for when inspecting their skin
- Ensure patients know who to contact if they have concerns regarding their skin
- Share knowledge with your team
Contact us
Referrals in community come through SystmOne for District Nursing and via email for all other areas (General Practice, Nursing Homes, Children’s Nursing, Hospice:
Email: nuth.tvn.community@nhs.net
