New Clinical Lead To Tackle Avoidable Pressure Ulcers

Minister for Social Services and Public Health Rebecca Evans today announced a new national post to tackle avoidable pressure ulcers among care home residents. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A senior quality improvement expert will work with the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre to introduce a new system to record and publish incidents of avoidable pressure damage in care homes and to work with care home providers to improve pressure ulcer prevention. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This meets one of the recommendations from Dr Margaret Flynn’s independent report into events in care homes in South East Wales following Operation Jasmine, which investigated neglect in care homes in South East Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rebecca Evans said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“A new reporting system will monitor improvement and offer transparency to the public and to families, to the bodies that inspect care homes and to those that commission care home services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The new senior lead will work with care home providers and regulators across Wales to reduce avoidable pressure ulcers. Preventing pressure ulcers involves making change happen across the NHS and care homes. It’s a complex role that requires senior leadership and demonstrates our commitment to continuing to improve the care we provide to frail older people in Wales.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​