Pressure sore cases on admission to the Jersey General Hospital last year reached a five-year high – despite pledges of action sparked by the death of an elderly man with a severe wound six years ago.
New figures obtained by Express under the Freedom of Information Law revealed that there were 297 pressure sores present upon inpatient admission to the General Hospital last year – up from 171 in 2019.
Pressure sores are damage to the skin that comes from sustained pressure, with the most serious cases resulting in full tissue loss, and potentially bone, tendon or muscle being exposed.
They can happen to anyone, but usually affect people confined to bed or who sit in a chair or wheelchair for long periods of time.
The increase of pressure sores in Jersey comes over two years after an inquest into the death of an 81-year-old care home resident who arrived in hospital with a wound one nurse described as “one of the most serious I’ve ever seen” .
The primary cause of death for Roland “Eddie” Childe was given as aspiration pneumonia due to Parkinson’s Disease – but a consultant physician said the man’s infected pressure sore was a “significant contributory factor”.
I want justice for my husband. He had a terrible death and I don’t want anyone else to die like that. I’m still so angry about it.
denise childe, WIdow OF eddie Childe
Mr Childe’s inquest prompted the Deputy Viscount to “write to various agencies to set out learning points in the hope that this may aid future policies” about bed sores.
Since her husband’s death almost six years ago, Denise Childe has been campaigning tirelessly for more education and awareness around pressure sores.
She told Express that he had “the most terrible death”.
“Nobody should have a death like that,” said Mrs Childe.
“That’s why I’m determined to share his story, to stop this happening to anyone else – because it’s still going on.”
Mrs Childe said that when she first saw her husband’s pressure sore, she “felt sick” and “nearly fainted”.
“It was horrific,” she explained.
“His bottom was black, and the pressure sore was very large and deep – you could see the bone.”
Mrs Childe felt that “no one has faced repercussions” over her husband’s death.
“I want justice for my husband,” she said. “He had a terrible death and I don’t want anyone else to die like that. I’m still so angry about it.”
You can read the full interview with Mrs Childe in today’s JEP.
Tomorrow: The team at Family Nursing & Home Care provide an update on an Island-wide strategy and call for a shift in focus from treating wounds to preventing them in the first place.
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