What is the Leg Ulcer Service?
The Leg Ulcer Service offers assessment and management of patients with a non healing leg wound of 4 weeks duration or more. Once the ulceration is healed the patient is discharged back to GP care.
In the West of Somerset we have a a team of nurses who will provide this Service. In the East of Somerset the Service will be provide by your District Nurse or Practice Nurse.
Clinics
Leg Ulcer Clinics are held at the following locations
Parkgate House, East Reach, Taunton
| Monday |
08.30 |
- |
12.30 |
| Tuesday |
08.30 |
- |
16.30 |
| Wednesday |
08.30 |
- |
16.30 |
| Friday |
08.30 |
- |
16.30 |
Wellington Community Hospital
| Monday |
13.00 |
- |
16.30 |
| Thursday |
08.30 |
- |
16.30 |
Minehead Community Hospital
Burnham on Sea War Memorial Hospital
Bridgwater Community Hospital
The Team
The team consists of registered nurses with a special interest in wound healing who have undertaken additional training in Leg Ulcer Management supported by Healthcare Assistants who also have a special interest in wound healing. Two team leaders oversee the clinics.
Referrals
If you are registered with a GP practice in West Somerset your Doctor or nurse may refer you to the Leg Ulcer Service for assessment and treatment. Once we have received your details we will contact you to offer you an assessment appointment.
If you are registered with a GP in East Somerset your Doctor will ask your District Nurse or Practice Nurse to assess and treat your Leg Ulcer.
Waiting Time
We aim to review patients referred to the service within a maximum of 6 weeks from referral date. Many patients are seen well within this time limit but waiting times do vary on a monthly basis according to the current service demand.
At your first visit
Your first visit will take about 1 hour. We would suggest that you wear loose clothing as blood pressure measurements need to be taken from your arms and legs, this is called a doppler test (a leaflet can be downloaded which explains this test in more detail).
You may also have a bandaging system applied to your leg to help healing so we would suggest that you wear loose fitting or adjustable shoes to take account of any bandaging applied.
Students
We are keen to involve students in our service so on occasion you may find a student nurse is working within the team. In addition to this some registered nurses work within our service to gain some experience in leg ulceration assessment and management techniques.
Feedback
If you would like to comment on our service or make recommendations please send your comments to Dawn.Dunn@somcomhealth.nhs.uk
What is Tissue Viability?
Tissue Viability is a term which describes a specialist area of healthcare dealing with the treatment and the healing of almost any type of wound. This includes pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, and other complex wounds which are difficult to heal. It covers every aspect of wound care, including pain, diet, mobility, incontinence and specialist equipment used.
The Team
-
Caroline Carrington covers the East of Somerset
-
Sue Ramsden covers the West of Somerset
-
Dawn Dunn leads the service
Referrals
Your doctor or nurse may refer you to the Tissue Viability Service for specialist advice about your wound or for advice on how to reduce the likelihood of you suffering from pressure ulcers.
Waiting Time
We will offer you an appointment within 6 weeks of us receiving your referral. All referrals are prioritised on clinical need and some individuals may been seen more quickly than this.
Students
On occasions we may have a student nurse working with our team.
Feedback
If you would like to comment on our service or make recommendations please send your comments to Dawn.Dunn@somcomhealth.nhs.uk
