MILLIONS COULD BE SAVED BY TACKLING PRESSURE ULCERS

The Government are missing an opportunity to save millions by failing to target prevention of pressure ulcers in NHS provided care. Although the recent NHS White Paper highlights the need to tackle venous thromboembolism (VTE) on wards, it makes no mention of ulcers which cost the NHS over £3 billion a year and create longer than necessary hospital stays.

Now the British Healthcare Trades Association is calling on the government to make pressure ulcer prevention a priority alongside VTE. Tackling the issue could save up to £600 million a year - which in turn would help the government to make £3 billion of savings towards their budget cuts by 2015.

The Association has shown that pressure ulcers are a huge problem not only to individuals who develop them but also to clinicians who work with them. Research shows that between 4% and 10% of all patients admitted to hospital will develop at least one pressure ulcer. In extreme cases this can lead to unnecessary death and in as many as 95% of cases the ulcers could be avoided by the assessment of patients and the provision of appropriate pressure relieving surfaces or regular turning where there is a risk of ulceration.

Now the Association are calling on the government to make it a requirement that incidents of pressure ulcers are reported in line with NICE guidance of 2005 and that additional funds are made available in the short term for education and additional pressure relieving surfaces.

Director General of the BHTA, Ray Hodgkinson MBE, said “Pressure sores are costing the NHS billions so we are disappointed the government have not made their reduction a priority. Targeting this area will help save money, free up beds, prevent deaths and reduce unnecessary misery for thousands of people each year.“