Where are we now?

‘We are where we are’ said the local newsagent. This left me thinking, where are we? What have we learnt? And how has the last year influenced our tissue viability (TV) care? I have spoken to many TV specialists who have had a varied response from management as to how they continue to provide a TV service. This varies from continuing in their current provision to a complete disbandment of the service. Many continued with a lesser service and also took on additional roles, including significant leadership roles or supporting a whole trust with the fitting of personal protective equipment (PPE).

For some it will have been a time of opportunity, with many achieving more support for self-care, the use of telehealth and e-assessing and e-reviewing of patients. Many people have commented how the pandemic has dragged the NHS into the modern era of digital technology and what it can offer health care. The crucial thing is for the NHS to really benefit from this technology in the future—it could significantly increase the number of patients receiving TV advice and expertise. From my personal experience the travelling time taken to visit one patient could have been more beneficially used with telehealth. The challenges I faced from management, clinical governance and IT in implementing telehealth would now be easier to overcome. Another change has been the greater focus on self-care. This needs to be appropriate and well delivered, with innovative products in some instances, but community TV staff have said they can see greater opportunities for this.