Patient safety, effectiveness, and patient experience have been identified as quality domains in the NHS Five Year Forward View (FYFV). Tissue viability and associated services have an opportunity to use these to raise awareness of the care they provide.

In addition, by using metrics, these services will be able to quantify the effectiveness of care provision and use this to argue for future resources and funding. The Quality Workshops set up by Real Healthcare Solutions explore the national quality agenda in light of the FYFV and the metrics relating to quality in wound care.

All those working for or on behalf of the NHS are required to quantify the quality of the service they provide, as part of the DH quality agenda. In addition, nationally comparable information on the quality accounts will need to be published each year. 

The challenge for healthcare professionals is to ensure that daily practice is aligned to the quality agenda and true measurements of this care are recorded. The extent of this challenge cannot be underestimated, especially as it may require a change of mind-set. In addition, the metrics that need to be measured have to be completed alongside the challenges of a busy work schedule and within current financial constraints.

Measurements of quality in wound care should be aligned to the national ideals of quality that focus on patient safety, effectiveness, and patient experience. National tools used to collect and collate this information need to be identified to ensure that the quality of service can be assessed nationally.