Introduction St Gemma’s Hospice is the first hospice to implement the Pressure Ulcer Primary or Secondary Evaluation Tool (Purpose-T). This is a systematically evidence-based risk assessment tool devised by the University of Leeds in conjunction with the National Institute for Health Research.

Aims

• To reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers within the hospice

• To raise awareness of risk factors that affect skin changes at end of life.

• To implement a minimum standard of risks assessed.

• To improve documentation.

• To provide a framework for care.

Method

• To provide teaching to nursing staff on the Purpose-T tool prior to implementation to ensure they are aware of how to accurately and effectively assess a patient.

• To implement Purpose-T in June 2015 within the hospice.

• To audit the Purpose-T tool on a monthly basis to determine whether the incidence of pressure ulcers in the hospice has been reduced.

Results Purpose-T has been implemented in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and will be introduced in St Gemma’s Hospice in June 2015. This will be audited on a monthly basis and evaluation of the risk assessment tool will be conducted in September 2015.

Conclusion It is acknowledged that during the end of life phase the skin, like any other vital organ can become compromised resulting in a cease of functioning. It is important to ensure the patient has the correct interventions in place to prevent the breakdown of skin and development of a pressure ulcer. The Purpose-T tool supports care planning in response to each patients risk profile and allows the development of pressure ulcers to be classified as avoidable or unavoidable and therefore due to skin changes at end of life.