Stop the pressure

In my work in critical care, I regularly see the impact of pressure ulcers on patients. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, risk factors for pressure ulcer formation include limited mobility and/or an inability to independently reposition, loss of sensation, previous/current pressure ulcers, nutritional deficiency, and cognitive impairment. 

More broadly, there is a clear link to overall poor health.

With an ageing population – over 60 per cent of pressure ulcers occur in the over 70s – and a population with increasingly complex healthcare needs, with one in five adults in England predicted to have a major illness by 2040, there’s broad potential for an increasing prevalence of pressure ulcers across this population.  

Within this broadening risk, according to the Health Foundation, there is a significant discrepancy of people living with major illness between the most deprived (14.6 per cent) and least deprived areas (6.3 per cent), highlighting the impact of health inequalities on the prevalence of pressure ulcers across different populations experiencing more inequalities.  

Once pressure ulcers become established, their impact can be significant, not only on the patient but also in terms of additional healthcare required to treat them. Length of hospital stay can increase by between five and 10 days, with additional treatment costs of up to around £14,000 reported. 

As the first physiotherapist trustee of the Society of Tissue Viability (SoTV), a member led charity organisation addressing the challenges of skin/wound care through collaboration, we’re supporting the Stop the Pressure campaign to support a collaborative approach to preventing pressure ulcers, which has been shown to reduce pressure ulcers by 36 per cent in a year if implemented. 

All physios and support workers can play a part: do you look at someone’s skin? Do you listen closely to what someone is saying to you? 

Think too about where you can access more information and advice.