Leadership and social enterprise in tissue viability

Abstract

j o u r n a l o f wo u n d c a r e vol 2 0 , no 1 1 , november 2 0 1 1 5 0 1 Claire Stephens Capt QARANC I often describe my career pathway as ‘colourful’, having worked in many different areas, from clinical lead roles within the NHS, to clinical roles within industry, wound charity support roles, and latterly a role within the military. During my years practising in tissue viability (more than I choose to admit to!) I have witnessed this essential service evolve from a handful of practitioners with vision, energy and passion, to the thousands representing and driving it today. But what is the future for tissue viability services in the UK under new NHS reforms? Strong leadership is pivotal to the success of any business, service, project or battle and, with this in mind, the new NHS leadership framework was launched in June of this year. The framework aims to help health professionals to develop leadership skills, with the obvious objective of improving patient care and outcomes. The phrase ‘born leaders’ immediately springs; I am referring to those individuals who have demonstrated constant leadership, commitment, vision and creativity. We can learn much from them. These practitioners have fought constantly to implement strategies, resulting in dramatically improved patient services within, and outside, the NHS and, all importantly, obtaining government recognition for tissue viability as a speciality. Integration and collaboration among tissue viability practitioners and industry is vital, and has resulted in a number of critical policies, guidelines and academic publications, as well as the formation of several wound-care related charities, all of which are making a real difference to patient experience and clinical outcomes, not just here in the UK, but globally. I think it’s safe to say that tissue viability has demonstrated strong leadership style for some time. Tissue viability has embraced numerous NHS reforms over the years, always stepping up to the mark and leading policy decision-making, rather than just influencing from the peripheries. Many battles have been fought, and often won, to protect or initiate product use to ensure patients are receiving the best care possible. However, the current NHS reforms represent possibly the most significant changes yet to health-care service provision. More emphasis is being placed on service provision and the social enterprise facet of ‘Right to Provide’ (which gives frontline staff the right to run services) — a journey we may be about to embark on. Amid all the criticism and scepticism of social enterprise for health care, how wonderful that the UK Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, flag-shipped a successful tissue viability social enterprise (Wound Healing Centres, Eastbourne) as a true example of leadership, at the recent conservative conference in Manchester. The journey of setting up and further developing such a service has been a significant challenge for both Sylvie Hampton and Fiona Collins, who have overcome several obstacles along the way. I have witnessed the dedication of practitioners like Sylvie and I personally thank all the visionaries and experts I have been privileged to work with along the way. I am very excited for the future of tissue viability services and, in a way, I guess I am trying to say that while we will have many battles still to fight, we are indeed leading from the front. Leadership and social enterprise in tissue viability