UK over the last decade following a series of papers from Guest et al (Guest et al, 2015; 2020). These papers have generated multiple events, discussions and debates, including one in the House of Lords (Hansard, 2017). In England, the National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) was launched in 2018 to address unwarranted.
Evidence indicates a growing demand on community healthcare professionals to manage lower limb wounds, with reported increases of almost 400% in workload for community nurses and 51% for general practice nurses (Guest et al, 2020). This places significant pressure on services provided by the National Health Service (NHS). In addition, the growing elderly population in the UK is likely contributing to an annual increase of approximately 12% in the prevalence of chronic wounds, with significant associated economic burden (Guest et al, 2020).
Malodour is a common but frequently under-recognised symptom in chronic and complex wounds. It is particularly prevalent in wounds with high bacterial burden, necrotic tissue, or excessive exudate, such as malignant fungating wounds, chronic leg ulcers, and pressure injuries (Gethin et al,)
Community nurses are often the professionals who see people in their own homes, in clinics, in schools, in residential settings or during routine immunisation conversations. That contact can be crucial for meningitis because it can begin with symptoms that look like a common viral illness, but bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease can progress within hours. For nurses working in the community, the priority is to recognise serious illness, safety-net effectively and escalate urgently when meningitis or sepsis is possible.
Managing patients with long-term conditions is a priority for the NHS because of the significant costs associated with their care (Eaton et al, 2015). A central goal is to prevent avoidable hospital admissions (NHS England, 2019), a focus echoed in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan for England (UK Government, 2025).
Access to expert clinical support for people affected by dementia across the spectrum of remote and rural to urban settings is not equitably distributed. This study explored an alternative nurse-led approach to this problem used in the Shetland Islands, to the north of the Scottish mainland. A purposive review of the literature set the scene and informed the objectives more fully, while giving shape to the research questions and preparing ground for data collection.
Catheters are a device that is inserted into the bladder through the urethra, which are made out of silicone or latex (Al-Qahtani et al, 2019). They have a range of functions, including draining urine from the bladder, measuring bladder capacity and residual volume, instilling medication, and managing various bladder conditions (Savage, 2014). Catheters can also be used in medical emergencies, e.g. acute urinary retention (Bhatt et al, 2019).
In an ever changing healthcare landscape, community nursing is shaped by social determinants of health, varying levels of service provision, and the realities of people's everyday lives (McBride et al, 2024). As a result, now more than ever before, community nurses frequently encounter situations where individuals face barriers to accessing care, understanding their options, or exercising their rights (McCullogh et al, 2025).
