If you are an inpatient at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and have a wound that is not healing or that is of concern to the staff looking after you, you may be referred to the Tissue Viability Service for specialist advice. Tissue viability is another name for wound care.

The Tissue Viability Service at UHB covers all four acute hospital sites and consists of:

• a lead tissue viability nurse
• tissue viability nurses
• secretarial support

Our tissue viability nurses provide expert advice and support to all staff on caring for patients with all types of wounds, including:

• pressure ulcers
• leg ulcers
• diabetic foot wounds
• surgical wounds, and
• fungating tumours

We also advise on pressure ulcer prevention strategies which will include:

• assessment
• repositioning plans
• equipment
• documentation
• dressing regimes, and
• involvement of other specialist teams (i.e. dietitians, therapists, podiatry)

The team plans and delivers a wide range of educational activities and produces Trust guidelines relating to tissue viability.