What is the Tissue Viability Service?

Working directly with patients and health care professionals, the Tissue Viability Service provides clinical expertise and advice on both wound prevention and wound healing.

Our overall goal is to ensure that any patient, who has an active wound or is at risk of developing wounds, receives the optimum care to enable effective healing and prevention of recurrence.

We do this either through specialist assessment and treatment plans and/or educating the community workforce to ensure assessment and care are provided in line with national best practice standards.

The service is provided to aid and support patients who have:

• a complex or hard to heal wound and any associated diseases, for example
  • pressure ulcers
  • leg ulcers
  • malignant wounds
  • lymphoedema / chronic oedema
• a need for pressure ulcer prevention
• a requirement for specialist healthcare equipment such as a pressure relieving mattress or cushion

When would you need referring to us?

You may need the support of our service if you:

• have had a non-healing wound for more than six weeks
• are concerned that your wound is deteriorating rapidly despite treatment
• have had surgery or a sudden episode of bad health which means you are less mobile, at risk of pressure damage and may require pressure relieving equipment
• notice damage to skin caused by prolonged periods of sitting or lying down known as pressure damage, for example, sore/painful, red or black areas of skin over vulnerable areas such as bony prominences
• have swelling to your legs that has been present for 3 months or more

The Tissue Viability Service does not accept direct referrals from patients.

Please contact your primary health professional, such as your GP or nurse, to discuss if referral to our service might be appropriate.

We accept referrals for any patient registered with an Oxfordshire GP.

What does the service provide?

Upon receipt of your referral , and in discussion with your main health professional, we undertake a specialist nursing assessment.

In many cases we are able to offer them specialist advice and a management plan to your nurse over the phone, or via email, without a face-to-face consultation. Sometimes it may be appropriate for us to visit in which case we would arrange to see you with the health professional that referred you to us.

We are based in Abingdon Community Hospital but our service can be provided to patients in their own homes, community hospitals, GP surgery, care home or mental health ward.

There may be no further need of our service following the initial assessment and advice. At times however it may be appropriate for us to remain in contact and undertake further reviews. This will be discussed and agreed with you.

The team

Tissue Viability is a small nurse led service supported by an administrative team.

All of the nurses have a wide range of skills and expertise but will specialise in certain conditions, such as leg ulceration, chronic oedema and pressure ulcer prevention.

Our service is available Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) from 8.30am to 4.30pm. We do not provide a 24 hour or emergency service.

Out of hours equipment advice

Please contact NRS via telephone 01869 225 420.

For further information concerning specialist equipment management, please ask your designated healthcare professional for a copy of the relevant information leaflet.

Comments, suggestions and complaints

We are committed to providing a high standard of professional support and advice. To help us maintain this we welcome any feedback that you have regarding your experiences of our service. Please share your comments, suggestions or complaints with a member of the team.

Alternatively you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). PALS provides advice and support to patients, their families and carers and can help to resolve any problems, concerns or complaints that you may have. You can contact PALS free on telephone 0800 328 7971.