Reading List

These official sources support the course content and are useful for workplace follow-up, supervision, policy review and refresher learning. The course uses NICE pressure-ulcer guidance and quality standards as the core clinical source, with England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland resources signposted separately so local tools, provider expectations and referral routes are not blurred together.

Core clinical guidance and England regulatory context

• NICE CG179: Pressure ulcers - prevention and management
  Core guideline on pressure-ulcer prevention and management, including risk factors, skin assessment, repositioning, pressure-relieving equipment, care planning and patient or carer information.
• NICE CG179 recommendations
  Useful for the exact recommendations on risk factors, skin assessment, repositioning, heel pressure, seating, care planning and information for patients and carers.
• NICE QS89: Pressure ulcers
  Quality standard covering prevention, assessment and management of pressure ulcers across settings, including care homes with and without nursing care and people's own homes.
• NICE QS89 quality statement 4: Skin assessment
  Useful for the requirement to assess skin when someone is identified as high risk, including pain, skin integrity, discolouration and changes in heat, firmness and moisture.
• NICE QS89 quality statement 5: Advice on repositioning
  Useful for the role of repositioning advice and the stated 6-hour and 4-hour frequencies used in the quality standard.
• NICE QS89 quality statement 6: Help with repositioning
  Useful for the expectation that people at risk who cannot reposition themselves are helped to do so and that repositioning equipment is available where needed.
• NICE QS89 quality statement 7: Information on preventing pressure ulcers
  Useful for tailored information to people at high risk and their carers on early signs, prevention and equipment use.
• NICE QS89 quality statement 8: Pressure redistribution devices
  Useful for the expectation that people at high risk are provided with pressure-redistribution devices when they need them.
• NHS England: Enhanced Health in Care Homes framework
  Useful for care-home operational context in England, including skin and wound care expectations, staff support, referral to wound-care services and implementation of individualised care plans.
• CQC Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment
  Useful for the England regulatory expectation that providers assess risks, provide safe equipment and ensure staff have the competence, skills and experience to keep people safe.

Wales signposting

• GOV.WALES: Guidance for care home and domiciliary support service providers
  Useful for Welsh provider expectations on skin integrity, approved assessment tools, the SKIN bundle, pressure-relieving equipment, continence support and when specialist advice is needed.

Scotland signposting

• NHS inform Scotland: Pressure ulcers
  Useful for Scottish public guidance on risk factors, early signs, darker skin presentation, common pressure areas and when to seek help for worsening pressure damage.
• NES: Prevention and management of pressure ulcers
  Useful for Scotland's education route into pressure-ulcer prevention and the linked Skin and Wound Care toolkit.

Northern Ireland signposting

• HSC Public Health Agency Northern Ireland: Pressure ulcer prevention
  Useful for Northern Ireland patient and carer information on what pressure ulcers are, how they develop and the steps carers can take to help prevent them.

For day-to-day practice, start with your own home's live care plans and local escalation route, then use these official sources when you need wider clinical, regulatory or nation-specific guidance.