The Community Leg Ulcer Clinic opened on 10th September 2015. The model aims to provide an easily accessible specialist service within the local community that reduces healing rates, reduces recurrent problems and improves quality of life by ensuring all patients receive the same high standard of care in any setting across Tayside.
We have:
- Identified and adapted a suitable clinic space within Westgate Health Centre
- Installed the necessary equipment e.g. Doppler, foot baths
- Developed a referral criteria and patient pathways across hospitals and the community
- Developed Standard Operating Procedures for leg ulcer assessment, Ankle Brachial Pressure index (ABPi) assessment, leg ulcer treatment, record keeping in the leg ulcer clinic, and criteria for specialist vascular assessment
- Developed a Patient Specific Directive (PSD) for patients referred to the clinic
- Developed and implemented an education pathway and competency framework for district nursing staff working in the clinic to equip them to work with this patient group
- Identified an initial cluster of GPs upon which to trial the model, this has since been extended to all GPs in the Dundee area following triage by dermatology department