With wound and skin care taking up a considerable part of general practice nursing time, the GPN 'nurse consultation' series follows the therapy chain for the management of patients with venous leg ulcers and looks at the skills needed to ensure safe, competent and professional consultations with patients.

Here, Helen Butterfield, leg ulcer/dermatology specialist nurse, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, looks at the third link, i.e. preventing the recurrence of venous leg ulcers and the importance of lifelong compression therapy to prevent wound breakdown, and the role that patient choice and self-care can play.