Tackling the burden of pressure ulcers

According to figures cited by the Department of Health, 60% of older people with a pressure ulcer die within one year.1 Although there has been some progress in tackling the issue, pressure ulcers remain a significant healthcare problem and it is estimated that 700,000 people are affected by pressure ulcers each year.2

Many pressure ulcers are preventable and there have been sustained efforts in recent years to reduce the burden on the NHS as well as patient suffering. There has been a notable change in culture within the healthcare sector – from viewing pressure ulcers as an ‘inevitable’ healthcare risk, towards zero tolerance. NHS Improvement reminds healthcare professionals that the duty of candour “must be applied for all serious pressure ulcer incidents” and an investigation must take place to identify cause or gaps in care.2 

This change of culture appears to be paying dividends: the NHS Safety Thermometer shows a decrease in reported pressure ulcers (6.8% in May 2012 to 4.5% in May 2016), although it appears that this downward trajectory has levelled off in recent years – suggesting a need to continue to focus on the issue at a time when the NHS is coming under significant pressures. Indeed, the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) recently commented that it had “major concerns that dropping the CQUIN for pressure ulcers in 2015/16 may have reduced the focus and reversed much of the progress which has been achieved.”