SPECIALIST SERVICES – LEG ULCER CLINICS
REFERRAL CRITERIA
INTRODUCTION
The Leg Ulcer Clinic Service is led by the Specialist Services within LCHS.
The clinic is for ambulatory patients who can attend clinic; patients who are housebound should be referred to the community nursing teams.
The Local Enhanced Service specification for Leg Ulcer Care defines a leg ulcer as a break in the skin below the knee which has been present for 6 weeks. This LES, therefore, recommends that a patient can be referred into leg ulcer clinic if the wound is of 6 or more weeks in duration.
CRITERIA
1. Patients presenting at the GP Practice with an area of skin loss/wound below the knee or with eczema or rashes, will initially remain the responsibility of the practice nurse for assessment and appropriate care.
2. If the wound has not healed within 6 weeks, a Leg Ulcer Clinic Referral document (Appendix 1) should be completed and sent to the Ops Centre (if a referral is from the community nursing team, please refer via your local admin hub). Please continue to provide care for the leg ulcer until the patient has been given an appointment by the leg ulcer clinic team.
3. Please ensure that you provide all relevant information, as seen on the referral form. The leg ulcer team will make contact with the referrer if the relevant information is not available, as the information on the referral is essential in ensuring the provision of continuity of care.
4. If the patient has had a previous Doppler assessment, please fill in the date and results on the form. Please also document any wound swab results or relevant blood test results.
5. The Leg ulcer team will contact the patient with the first available appointment and a full leg ulcer assessment will be performed. This assessment will take up to 90 minutes.
6. Please ensure that the patient has provision of enough dressings for one appointment.
7. The patient will attend the leg ulcer clinic until the wound/ulcer has healed.
8. Patients with Foot Ulceration should continue to be seen by the Practice Nurse. Those with Diabetic Foot Ulceration should be referred for a specialist assessment to a Podiatrist specialising in this field.
9. Please note that patients without an area of skin loss below the knee or above the foot, do not fulfil the criteria for referral into the leg ulcer clinic, and they will be referred back to the Practice Nurse for continuation of care.
Thank you for your assistance in ensuring that together we provide leg ulcer management that is based on evidence and best practice.