Part of our Heroes Campaign. By Dr. Dan O’Carroll – A&E Consultant, Birmingham. As the first wave of the corona virus pandemic appears to be easing, it’s worth reflecting on what the NHS has managed to achieve in such a short space of time.

Understanding incontinence. Incontinence is the unintentional leakage of urine, faeces, or both. Studies indicate that there are between three and seven million people with some degree of urinary incontinence in the UK. Prevalence of both urinary and faecal incontinence increases with age.

What is MARSI? Medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI) occurs when medical adhesives remove superficial layers of skin, resulting in variable levels of skin damage, such as skin-stripping, tension blisters, skin tears, contact dermatitis.

A one size fits all approach to incontinence-associated dermatitis can be more expensive and may not even be right for all patients. Barrier ointments are often used to treat all IAD conditions, but a more tailored approach offers better potential patient outcomes and cost efficiencies.

It is estimated that 13,500 people have stoma surgery each year, which means around 1 in every 500 people have a stoma in the UK.¹ Due to this high number of people, nurses in different clinical settings will see patients with a stoma. Therefore it is vital to develop a basic understanding of stoma care.

Over the past few months, we have seen an increase in queries on Peak Flow Meters from clinicians and healthcare professionals. This may be because, during the current Covid-19 pandemic, patients with asthma and other respiratory conditions are being increasingly managed via virtual or phone consultations and have had to take more responsibility for self-care and management of their condition.

One in 500 people in the UK live with a stoma. Up to 85% of ostomates have experienced common problems such as skin irritation, blockage, leakage, and difficulty attaching and removing appliances, but many do not seek professional help¹. One study identified that approximately one third of patients with a stoma who were followed up over a 5-year study period had evidence of skin complications within 90 days of surgery². This, in turn, leads to increased healthcare costs, increased product use, wastage and unnecessary referrals to specialist stoma services.

We have all been challenged in delivering services in social and healthcare throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The intense pressures on staffing and resources have also taken their toll on the provision of education.

Part of our Heroes Campaign. By ​Dr. Nitin Raje-Ghatge – MD, DMLS, DFMS (London). I have come across a vast number of people with Mental Health & Addiction problems and how it affects not just the patients but also the people they live with.

Part of our Heroes Campaign. Janet’s Inspiring Story. Being in our late 70s, my husband and I were amongst those advised to self -quarantine for 12 weeks when the pandemic hit. As a proud NHS pensioner who worked for the NHS for nearly 30 years in various roles, and having a daughter who is a nurse, I was keen to help support the NHS staff in any way I could. I originally applied to be an NHS Volunteer but couldn’t be accepted due to not having a Smartphone to download the app.