Forward Leeds offer wound care clinics

Forward Leeds has partnered with the Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust to offer wound care for people supported by Forward Leeds.

The new clinics will run across the Forward Leeds sites and provide diagnosis and treatment of wounds including:

• Assessment of wounds and advice on the best treatment options
• Help to manage wounds independently if appropriate.
• Support to manage symptoms.
• Advice on healing and prevention of further damage

Forward Leeds Assistant Clinical Director Nicole Clarke said: “It’s important to us that the people we are supporting for their issues around alcohol and drugs stay healthy. We believe in looking after the whole person.”

People who inject drugs, in particular, can have a range of additional health needs such as untreated bacterial infections. These can lead to serious complications, such as blood poisoning or infection of the inner lining of the heart.

“Sometimes the people we support don’t choose to go to a GP or hospital until late on in their injury  or infection, for a variety of valid reasons. Sometimes this means when they do go, they need to go straight to intensive care.

“Treating people here in our hubs, in partnership with the Leeds Integrated Wound Care Clinic, will allow us to do get people help at an earlier stage and help prevent hospital admissions.”

Steph Lawrence, Executive Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust said: “As an organisation, LCH prides itself on ensuring it provides services for all. This partnership work with Forward Leeds is a great example of this and we are looking forward to providing high-quality care for the service users and ensuring an inclusive and equitable service to ensure good outcomes for people with wound care needs.”

The clinics will run every Tuesday afternoon at the Forward Leeds hub on Kirkgate in the city centre and alternate Thursday afternoons between the services Armley and Seacroft Hubs. The clinics will be led by Deborah Dunbar from the Leeds Integrated Wound Care Clinic.