Time for the government to deliver

A number of recent developments suggest that wound care should become a priority for the NHS. The Department of Health has published Pressure Sores. A Key Quality Indicator¹: A guide for NHS purchasers and providers which details the costs of preventing and managing these wounds. Work published during the past decade has demonstrated the dramatic effect of diabetic foot clinics in reducing amputation rates. Community leg ulcer clinics, such as the Riverside Leg Ulcer Project, continue to be established. The national media have also helped to focus attention on this area with their coverage earlier this year of necrotising fasciitis.