11 February 2019
Today marks the public launch of ZERO HERO, our exciting new campaign which aims to improve awareness about pressure ulcer prevention. As a result of this, where avoidable, we aim to prevent pressure ulcers developing resulting in ZERO patients getting one whilst in our care.
Katharine Rolland, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist at NHS Borders, said: "Pressure ulcers, also commonly known as bedsores, are caused by an area of skin being placed under continuous pressure. Despite the name, these sores don't just happen in bed; they can also be caused by sitting in the same position for too long. Anyone can be at risk of getting a pressure ulcer, however, they are mostly preventable providing the correct action and precautions are taken.
"With this in mind, we have identified four key actions in the acronym HERO as a prompt for patients to help them reduce their risk of pressure damage."
Have you, or someone you trust, checked your skin for any red or painful areas?
Ensure you let staff know if you are uncomfortable so we can help you
Reposition yourself regularly - if you need help with this please ask staff for assistance
Oral intake - are you eating and drinking enough?
As part of the campaign, eye catching posters and information leaflets have been introduced to advise patients about how to prevent pressure ulcers, highlighting the risk factors and what to expect from our staff whilst in our care. These resources run alongside our staff-focused strand of the campaign which was launched in November 2018.
The actions in our staff HERO acronym runs hand-in-hand with the actions in our public strand as it is important that both patients and staff work together to ensure that avoidable pressure ulcer development does not happen.
Erica Reid, Associate Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals at NHS Borders, said: "Pressure Ulcer prevention is a priority for us as part of our Back to Basics programme which focuses on the fundamentals of patient care.
"Since the appointment of Katharine in April 2018, regular staff training has been delivered which includes grading of pressure ulcers, wound care, completion of paperwork such as risk assessments and use of equipment.
"A full audit has also been completed on our pressure relieving equipment which has resulted in investment for specialist equipment including cushions, mattresses and heel protecting boots to ensure that appropriate equipment is available for our patients.
"Our team at Kelso Community Hospital recently celebrated over 365 days with no developed pressure ulcers which is a really great achievement. We look forward to more milestones like this as our ZERO HERO campaign gains momentum."
For more information about ZERO HERO visit www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/zerohero
