More than 100  CHFT colleagues and colleagues in community and in nursing homes attended our first Tissue Viability (TV)  Conference.

Our CEO Owen Williams opened the conference at Elland Cricket Club with a personal story about his mother-in-law who  sadly, recently died.

He said: "I called my mother-in law "mum" as I cared about her deeply. The last time she'd been in hospital was around 50 years ago when she was giving birth. So to see a healthy and mobile woman deteroriate as quickly as she did was worrying - it was a real shock for us all.

"She became bedridden really quickly and we started to worry about bed sores and her mobility. I know she received fabulous care here at HRI and the team were constantly monitoring her skin and making sure she was moved regularly to keep her as comfortable as possible. 

"So don't just see this as just another set of learning. Yes, it's an opportunity to develop and share best practice, but it also becomes the life story of the people we look after".

The day was aimed at bringing colleagues from the Trust together with community colleagues and colleagues from nursing homes to share learning about this important part of care.

One patient who has struggled with leg ulcers spoke about her experiences and a coroner's officer spoke about how, at their most extreme, ulcers and sores can feature in a coroner's verdict about the care received.

Apprentice admin David Berry, said: " It was fantastic, it went off without a hitch. We are already planning for next year so watch this space."

TV equipment coordinator Jenny Garlick, said feedback from it, on the whole, had been hugely positive including comments such as "enjoyable", "interesting", "thought provoking" and "valuable".

She said: " We tried to get healthcare colleagues from all areas together and to make it as interesting for everyone as we could. We are planning another it was so well-received."