Latest News From Tissue Viability

Stephen Lloyd MP visited the Wound Healing Centre in Gildredge Road, Eastbourne last week. The purpose of Stephen’s visit was to see the work that the team of clinical specialists are doing to treat people with wounds that are not healing as they should. Some wounds having been present for many years.

The Eastbourne Wound Healing Centre specialises in the prevention and management of wounds and their healing rates are among the highest in the UK, something that Eastbourne can rightly be proud of.

The team includes nurses, who specialise in healing longstanding wounds and an occupational therapist, with expertise in the prevention and management of pressure as well as and a podiatrist who maintains foot health and prevents foot ulcers. The team have detailed knowledge and experience of wound dressings and therapies.

All types of wounds are treated, including:

• leg ulcers
• pressure damage
• non-healing surgical wounds
• burns
• cancerous wounds
• Pyoderma Gangrenosum
• pilonidal sinus
• distressing skin conditions

Stephen Lloyd said:
“It was a great pleasure to visit and to meet the team at the Wound Healing Centre. In this difficult economic climate I was very impressed with the potential of the wound healing centre, not only to improve the clinical outcomes in a challenging NHS environment, but also to realise significant cost savings.

Over the last few years, I have received a number of letters from local residents who have suffered with wounds over many years and have received successful treatment from the wound healing centre.

Successful companies like the wound healing centre are vital to the future of Eastbourne. Ill do everything I can to ensure their ongoing success”.

TVCS Ltd was 10 years old on 1 December 2009. To celebrate, it’s Directors – Fiona Collins and Sylvie Hampton hosted a Day at the Races at Lingfield Park Race course, inviting Staff, Business Associates, friends and family to help celebrate.

Sylvie Hampton and Fiona Collins at Lingfiled Park Racecourse

Nicole Ionescu is smiling… because she’s just taken delivery of her new wheelchair and cushion! Nicole lives Romania, where she co-ordinates a small British registered charity, Romania Connect, which assists severely disabled people to live at home, provides financial sponsorship and specialist equipment.

Nicole suffered a spinal cord injury at birth and is paraplegic. Her posture in her wheelchair is so poor that she faces to the left, a situation that has prevented her from achieving a life long ambition – to learn to drive a car.

Vicki Pearson UK co-ordinator for Romania Connect approached Fiona Collins, an Occupational Therapist at Tissue Viability Consultancy Services based in Eastbourne. Fiona is an internationally renowned seating expert, whose patients come from all over the UK and abroad.

Fiona worked in collaboration with Steve Betteley at Southern Mobility, providing their services free of charge. Nicole urgently needed a special cushion and lightweight wheelchair. Using her industry contacts Fiona was able to obtain a bespoke Starlock cushion made by the Helping Hand Company and an Invacare XLT wheelchair, free of charge.

And the result? Nicole can now sit comfortably and supported. Crucially she is now able to sit facing fully forwards, which means that at last she will be able to learn to drive! Mission accomplished!

Fiona has now agreed to visit Romania to assess more of Romania Connect’s clients; her company Tissue Viability Consultancy Services is now fund raising to pay for her flights and accommodation.

Vicki Pearson – “Fiona and Steve are utterly amazing! I cannot believe the differences they have brought about. I can’t stop looking at Nicole in her new chair with it’s new cushion.”