Plymouth Wound Care

In response to growing patient demand, Plymouth Wound Care has been established and is offering specialist wound care for non-healing wounds in Plymouth and the South West of England.
The wound care service is the first of its kind in the South West of England and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC) and able to draw upon the charity's established expertise in wound care.
The number of patients requiring treatments for chronic and challenging wounds is continuing to rise as underlying conditions such as diabetes become more prevalent. Plymouth Wound Care has been established as an alternative healthcare model, providing an effective choice for patients who wish to be treated outside the NHS.
Plymouth Wound Care is able to offer patients a more personal wound care experience specialising in post-operative and long term/difficult to heal wounds.
Unfortunately in the UK, the increasing number of complex wounds dictates that NHS services cannot fully embrace developing technologies or provide the level of care required for the resolution of many chronic wounds. Plymouth Wound Care has been established as a stand-alone wound care centre to provide specialist treatments that would, otherwise be unavailable in the region.

The Team

The team is led at Plymouth Wound Care by Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist, Alexandra Bishop BSc, MSc, RN(A) who has over 10 years experience in nursing and an MSc in Wound Healing and Tissue Repair. She is assisted by two additional experienced wound care nurses.

Research

Research at Plymouth Wound Care is carried out under the supervision of Gary Smerdon BSc, PhD who has over 20 years academic research experience (6 years - clinical) and 30+ peer reviewed research publications.

First Visit

Each patient with a complex wound will undergo a one hour assessment. The assessment will take place in a consulting room where you can be assured of confidentiality. When you attend for assessment it is useful if you wear loose fitting clothing around the area where your wound is located (leg or arm for example).
During the hour, the nurse will note down any past medical history and will discuss the history of your wound with you along with what care you have previously received. You will be offered a hot or cold drink to enjoy. It would be helpful if you could bring with you any copies of previous test results or records of investigations within the last 12 months if you have them.
Your wound will be assessed using interventions such as measurements and photography and you will be asked to complete some forms. Finally, a Care Plan will be agreed between you and the nurse and the cost of future appointments will be discussed. Healing of your wound cannot be guaranteed but the nurses at Plymouth Wound Care will set a realistic goal with you and will work hard towards achieving that goal.
If you wish to continue receiving care at Plymouth Wound Care you will be booked in for your next appointment. Your wound will be assessed at each appointment in order to monitor progress. Wherever possible we will ensure you are booked in with the same Tissue Viability Nurse for each subsequent visit.