Support services

Pioneer Wound Healing and Lymphoedema Centres (WHLC) is an independent provider of NHS and Private services in England and currently provides ambulatory Wound and Lymphoedema clinics for both NHS and self-funding patients. In addition, we also provide pressure ulcer prevention support for acute hospitals, complex wound reviews and telehealth support for wounds and lymphoedema across all clinical settings.

We are the largest Wound and Lymphoedema team in the UK and our specialist staff are experts in treating these conditions. Our Board includes two Executive Nurses Directors (Nurse Consultants) and a Medical Director (Plastic Surgeon) who have many decades of experience in developing and delivering excellence in the field.

We are committed to sharing our expertise with our NHS Partners and self-funding patients. NHS partners can engage with us via the Shared Business Services Framework.

We have a large, highly trained team and our published results demonstrate our ability to deliver outstanding, data-driven healing outcomes for patients with wounds and optimise patients with lymphoedema efficiently.

Click on the various clinical and staff and support services we offer below, which can be blended and tailored to your organisation’s specific needs. Our NHS Partners can access any service via the SBS framework. To explore how we can support you contact us today.

Clinical services

Pioneer’s Inpatient Clinical Services (Hospital & Hospice)

Using a mixed methodology of face to face and Telehealth, our team of dedicated Tissue Viability Nurse/Lymphoedema Consultants draws on decades of invaluable experience and a proven track record in the field. We partner with Hospitals, Hospices and Integrated Care Boards to heal wounds and manage Lymphoedema, all while enhancing staff skills, patient outcomes and improving their quality of life.

Our person-centred care plans increase local service capacity, reduce waiting lists and embed best practices in chronic and complex wound management. We achieve faster healing times and better outcomes for patients, reducing workloads and increasing capacity in Community/Practice and Nursing Homes. By collaborating with us, your clinical staff gain expertise, and together we leave a lasting legacy for your service, supporting the development of your teams.

Our Commitment:

Improving Patient Outcomes and Quality of Life
Supporting Patient Caseloads
Increasing Capacity of local teams
Embedding Best Practice
Embedding Local Policies, Procedures and Formularies
Supporting Clinical Risk Reporting/HAPU validation and patient safety data assurance
Supporting organisational Quality and Safety strategy
Leaving a Lasting Legacy of staff knowledge and skill

Pioneers Community Clinical Services (community nursing/practice nursing/nursing home)

Using a mixed methodology of face to face and Telehealth, our team of dedicated Tissue Viability Nurse/Lymphoedema Consultants boast decades of invaluable experience and a proven track record in the field. We partner with GP Practices, Integrated Care Boards and Nursing homes, to reduce patient caseloads, resolve waiting lists, heal wounds and manage lymphoedema, all while enhancing staff skills, patient outcomes and improving their quality of life.

Our Commitment:

Improving Patient/Resident Outcomes and Quality of Life
Reducing Caseloads and waiting lists:
Increasing Capacity of local teams
Embedding Best Practice
Embedding Local Policies, Procedures and Formularies
Supporting clinical Risk Reporting/HAPU validation and patient safety data assurance
Supporting organisational Quality and Safety strategy
Knowledge Enhancement:
Leaving a Lasting Legacy of staff knowledge and skill

STAFF SUPPORT SERVICES

Staff support services available are detailed below – these can be blended and tailored to your organisations/staff groups specific needs.

The support services are provided via a mixed methodology approach of face to face and utilising Smart technology.

Teams

Team Clinical Caseload support – Pioneer Specialist will work with staff members to assess, diagnose and agree the care plan for each patient on the active caseload for wounds/Lymphoedema. A debrief/reflection with the Pioneer Specialist after the patient consultation builds the staff members confidence and provides real time in person support in clinical decision making and advanced skills acquisition. This process is repeated over several sessions which builds a rapport, the learning consolidated and the staff member is then supported to work independently.

Team Complex Case Reviews – there are regular team discussions on complex cases alongside several Pioneer clinicians from various backgrounds. Complex cases may have an unusual presentation, so healing is not following expected trajectory or the patient may have further complicating factors. This approach supports open discussion on treatment plan analysis and evaluation and provides an opportunity for shared learning and consolidation of knowledge.

Individuals

1:1 Clinical day debriefs – at planned times, the individual staff member will engage in a 1:1 with their assigned Pioneer coach, to reflect on the clinical cases seen that day/week. This helps the individual, in a confidential space to consider the treatment plans made, other options available to the case and identify areas where learning for the team/service as a whole could be useful.

1:1 Professional Development – at regular intervals, the individual staff member will engage in discussion with their assigned Pioneer coach to both develop and achieve Personal Development Plan (PDP) goals and objectives. The content of this will vary between individuals. A PDP may focus on:

Gaining competencies in advanced clinical skills such as sharp debridement or refining existing skills such as manual lymphatic drainage.
Building interpersonal and leadership skills relating to, project management, quality improvement, Research/audit development.
Managing clinical discussions and conflict, change management, building inter disciplinary and interdepartmental relationships.
Developing a career development pathway to higher levels of practice e.g., Nurse Consultant or consolidation of current role.
Writing for publication/conference presentation
Educational development guidance i.e., Masters degree pathway and other learning opportunities available such as- reciprocal shadowing in a Pioneer led service.

Services

Service evaluation – Following a scoping exercise and analysis of the current and future Tissue Viability/Lymphoedema service aspirations by a Pioneer Clinician – advice, action plans will be provided. Further/ ongoing support for the Chief Nursing and clinical teams for the fixed term duration.