Pressure ulcers are an unwanted complication of illness, severe physical disability or increasing frailty.

Older people in care homes are among the most vulnerable people in society and have a high risk of developing pressure ulcers.

In May 2016, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), Care Inspectorate, Scottish Care and four partnerships in Scotland collaboratively pioneered the national "Reducing Pressure Ulcers in Care Homes Improvement Programme" which aimed to reduce pressure ulcers by 50%. Perth & Kinross HSCP were selected to participate and five care homes were identified - Catmoor, Robert Douglas Memorial, Stormont Lodge, Dalnaglar and Craigieknowes.

The Improvement Programme adopts the IHI Collaborative model comprising Learning Workshops interspersed with periods of testing rapid change ideas using the Model for Improvement (MFI) and Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles to test ideas, understand data, implement change and spread improvement. The MFI website provides an overview on using the Model for Improvement.

A pressure ulcer website has been developed through the iHub which allows the resources developed during the programme to be accessed and shared.

Perth & Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership in conjunction with the participating care homes have agreed the following tool and templates for use within all P&K care homes. This was presented at a celebration / launch event held on the 24th January 2018:

See here for more information.