Social Care News

Government commits to tackling avoidable pressure ulcers in line with Flynn recommendations

The Welsh Government has followed up on its commitment to tackling avoidable pressure ulcers among care home residents in Wales by creating a new role focusing on the problem.

The move is in line with one of Dr Maragaret Flynn's recommendations published in her 2015 report following a police investigation into care and neglect at six care homes in South Wales under Operation Jasmine which ran from 2005 to 2013.

• BBC news: Operation Jasmine: Care home doctor 'should have been prosecuted'
• Dr Flynn's Report: In Search of Accountablility

Dr Flynn's review found care providers "impervious" to older people's needs. She said: "Older people's injuries, pain and life-threatening deep pressure wounds were unobserved, unreported, reported inaccurately and/or reported belatedly – and yet, in this case, no crimes were identified by the Crown Prosecution Service."

New national post to tackle avoidable pressure ulcers among care home residents

The Minister for Social Services and Public Health Rebecca Evans today (August 8) announced a new national post to tackle avoidable pressure ulcers among care home residents. 

A senior quality improvement expert will work with the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre to introduce a new system to record and publish incidents of avoidable pressure damage in care homes and to work with care home providers to improve pressure ulcer prevention.

This meets one of the recommendations from Dr Margaret Flynn’s independent report into events in care homes in South East Wales following Operation Jasmine, which investigated neglect in care homes in South East Wales.

Rebecca Evans said: “A new reporting system will monitor improvement and offer transparency to the public and to families, to the bodies that inspect care homes and to those that commission care home services.

“The new senior lead will work with care home providers and regulators across Wales to reduce avoidable pressure ulcers. Preventing pressure ulcers involves making change happen across the NHS and care homes. It’s a complex role that requires senior leadership and demonstrates our commitment to continuing to improve the care we provide to frail older people in Wales.”