Aderma, Helps the NHS reduce the costs of pressure ulcers by 87 %

Sept. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- In a recent study a new product developed and manufactured within the UK has helped one NHS trust reduce pressure ulcers by 87%. The evaluation at a large acute trust hospital which ran for 3 months compared pressure ulcers with and without the Aderma product.  As a direct result of using Aderma the hospital saved £125K in the 3 months equivalent to half a million over the full year. If these results were replicated throughout the NHS a saving of up to £1.7 billion could be achieved.

Pressure ulcers are a major problem within the NHS and, whilst there are many specialist beds and mattresses in place, more than 400,000 patients are still affected by pressure ulcers each year. Aderma has been designed to help protect the skin in vulnerable areas and subsequently help reduce pressure ulcer incidences. The product has been designed by FPD Medical a sales and marketing company based in Halifax UK, in conjunction with specialist healthcare professionals.

FPD Medical CEO Dr Craig Barson gives a strong insight into the Aderma brand and its heritage.

“We acquired the very basic principle of the product in 2004 . From there we began working with healthcare professionals to develop the product and it was later trialled within a large acute trust hospital. However it wasn't until late 2005 - early 2007  that the NHS really began to take charge of pressure ulcer incidences.
By this time, due to the trial in 2004 ,we had already realised how special Aderma was, and among other benefits, the fact that it could save lives was phenomenal. The interest in reducing pressure incidences began to grow across the NHS and inevitably so did the demand for the Aderma brand.”

Customers, both patients and healthcare professionals, are continuously complimenting the work here at FPD Medical with positive comments. For instance,

“simple and effective in protecting the patient’s vulnerable areas such as heels and sacrums” .“easy to use”  and one Aderma heel pad customer stated “like walking on air, no pain now while mobile I would highly recommend this product.”

FPD Medical are also proud to have been shortlisted in this year’s Nursing Times Award 2010 with the Aderma dermal pad range. Winners will be announced at the awards evening on the 3rd November 2010, Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London.

“This year the entries have shown more commitment to quality, safer care and professionalism than ever before and our judges have had a tough task to narrow down the entries to the extremely deserving shortlist.”


Notes to Editor

2004 NHS Cost of Pressure Ulcers
Bennett, G et al, The cost of pressure ulcers in the UK, Age and Ageing, Vol33 No3 2004
“The cost of treating a pressure ulcer varies from £1,064 (Grade 1) to £10,551 (Grade 4). Costs increase with ulcer grade because the time to heal is longer and because the incidence of complications is higher in more severe cases. The total cost in the UK is £1.4–£2.1 billion annually (4% of total NHS expenditure). Most of this cost is nurse time.”

Aderma
Aderma Dermal Pad is an effective pressure ulcer prevention that reduces and redistributes pressure away from critical areas of the body whilst simultaneously transferring frictional force away from the skin. The texture of Aderma is similar to fatty tissue and acts as such on delicate / bony areas of the body which are at high risks to pressure when immobile.
The Aderma product range contains heels, sacrums, strips and squares; all have been proven to have multiple uses and can prevent pressure ulcers on most parts of the body. Recently we have also been working on improving the product by making it an adhesive and clear. To date 8,000 patients have used Aderma reducing pressure ulcer incidences and their severity across the medical scene whilst providing nursing staff with valuable time.

FPD Medical
FPD Medical is the sales and marketing company of its own branded medical products. The products are developed on site by parent company Focus Products Development which was established in 2000. From here the company has rapidly risen to be recognized as a leading company capable of supporting both individuals and major corporations in their desire to innovate in the global medical device markets. The company is proud to recognize its links in supporting its partners in the launch of major medical device brands.