Pressure Ulcers

Pressure ulcers, caused by prolonged pressure which injures the skin and underlying tissue (HIS, 2020), are a common cause of harm in hospitals and care homes. They can have a significant and negative impact on the lives of people who experience them, their families, and carers. Previous SPSP improvement work with 21 Scottish hospitals reduced pressure ulcers (grade 2 to 4) by 26% between 2015 and 2019.

The updated SPSP Pressure Ulcer Improvement Driver Diagram and Change Package, published in July 2023, builds on the success of earlier SPSP work. The change package was co-designed by clinical, care, and quality improvement experts from across Scotland, and informed by the lived experience of people and their families. It has been developed to support teams in clinical and care settings across Scotland to reduce the number of pressure ulcers experienced by people in Scotland.

The resources include:

• Driver diagram and change package
  • Shorter version without tools and resources
  • Full version with tools and resources
  • Accessible version with tools and resources
• Measurement support
  • Measurement framework
  • Measurement toolkit to support display of improvement data over time

If you have any questions or would like to join the SPSP pressure ulcer improvement network please contact: his.acutecare@nhs.scot