Nurse’s innovative idea awarded funding

All nurses and allied health professionals are to be provided with a pocket mirror to aid them with the identification of pressure ulcers on patients’ heels, thanks to a hospital Ward Manager, the Trust’s Innovation Group and the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust’s Charitable Funds Committee.

Having identified that the use of pocket mirrors can help in the detection of compromised tissue when access to the patients’ heels can often be difficult, Ward Manager, Teresa Beer who works on Hartor Ward at Derriford Hospital, approached the newly-formed Trust Innovation Group at Plymouth Hospitals for support.

Teresa explained to the Innovation Group that heel ulcers represent approximately 12% of the incidence of pressure ulcers overall per year in the trust and are the ones that are most likely to involve deeper and more extensive damage than others. When these more serious incidents are considered, out of the 29 patients reported with this level of damage last year, 18 were due to heel pressure ulcers.

The group identified a source for mirrors which met with infection control standards and an initial funding stream.

Chairman Richard Crompton, who is also the chair of the Trust’s Innovation Group, praised all the staff involved. He said: “Having a pathway in the trust whereby frontline staff like Teresa can bring their ideas is a fantastic way of ensuring that we can engage with all the right departments to make things happen for the benefit of our patients and staff.”

All nursing staff and allied health professionals will be provided with a mirror, which is funded by the Trust’s Charitable Funds Committee.

If you’re a member of staff with an innovative idea or you want to find out more information on the Innovation Group and the Innovation Pathway in Plymouth Hospitals, please contact Helen Neilens (hneilens@nhs.net) or via Twitter @RDInPHNT