Skincare skills: a priority

Happy New Year! I make no apologies for writing this in the first Tissue Viability Supplement of the year. In January, I was on a celebratory vacation with my husband and friends. While we were away, I took the opportunity to attend a presentation about looking after your skin. I was rather surprised that so many people were naïve or misinformed about the biggest organ of the body, which they live and function in. I also saw more sunburn than I expected – people are not taking the very clear messages on board. At a Wound Care Alliance UK (WCAUK) conference several years ago, I encouraged you all to share more essential skin information with your friends and families. This now seems more important than ever.

Essential skin and wound care remains a key priority and a significant concern. The health secretary has acknowledged that unacceptable standards of care are being delivered in the NHS (Smith, 2025). A survey of around 5000 nurses in December reported waiting times reaching 50 hours, patients in urine-soaked or soiled clothing, and corridor care becoming a new normal (Royal College of Nursing, 2025). This level of care does not allow for essential skin care.