Patient care Resources

Wound care presents a substantial burden on the NHS, clinicians, and patients. Promoting supported self-management has emerged as a key strategy to empower patients in proactively managing their wounds. When implemented appropriately, it can improve treatment adherence, enhance patient wellbeing, reduce the need for clinical appointments, and lower healthcare costs. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this shift by limiting face-to-face care, highlighting the importance of equipping patients with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required for effective self-management. Clear terminology and standardised approaches are essential for enabling the successful implementation of patient selfcare. Products such as Flaminal® (an enzyme alginogel®), with its simplicity and versatility, offers a practical solution that supports patient-led wound care while promoting sustainable healthcare delivery.

Veterans and the armed forces community should be high on our agendas as healthcare professionals. In 2021, for the first time, Census data aimed to capture the true number of veterans living in the UK. Data revealed that 1,853,112 people in England and Wales reported that they had previously served in the UK armed forces; to put that into perspective, that is 3.8% of total residents aged 16 years and over, a significant proportion of the population. Despite this, research suggests that many GP surgeries do not know how many veteran patients they have, or indeed how to address their specific health needs, which may differ from those of the general population for various reasons (Simpson et al, 2015).