Developing a single point of referral and clinical pathway for complex lower limb wounds

The cost of lower limb wound management is rising, patients are living longer with complex health needs that are often associated with the development of lower limb wounds.  Costs include use of nursing time, pain medication, antibiotics, repeated admission, and lower limb amputations.  Wound care is provided by many services, with patients receiving care for the same problem from many sources.    The overall Aims are to initially collect the number of referrals, reduce duplication in the system, reduce harm by delays and reduce costs with in-appropriate management.   A single point of contact and referral for specialist input that is clinically triaged within 24hrs, with standardised paperwork and agreed pathways to direct the patient journey to the expert team for assessment.    Ensuring the patient is seen in the right place at the right time with robust data capture identifying population, its needs and ensure service provision is available.