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We are a nurse led service which provides specialist assessment, treatment and advice. We support you if you have a leg ulcer which has not healed after four weeks of appropriate treatment and after you have had an assessment by your GP.
We can see patients who are registered with a GP within East and North Hertfordshire. We have specialist clinics at venues in Baldock, Hitchin, Stevenage, Hatfield, Bishop’s Stortford, Hoddesdon, and Cheshunt. We can see you either face to face or virtually. Sometimes it may be appropriate to attend with the person who referred you.
Our aim is to identify why your leg ulcer is not healing and develop a new treatment plan. Where appropriate, we may offer specialist intervention or support, for example if you have more complex management issues. We also provide support and training for healthcare professionals.
We operate from 9 am until 5pm, Monday to Friday. The service does not operate on bank holidays or at the weekend.
Contact the Service:
Specialist Leg Ulcer Service
Integrated Care Co-ordination Hub (1st Floor)
Abel Smith House
Gunnels Wood Road
Stevenage
SG1 2ST
You can telephone us on:
0300 123 7571, Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm
Out of hours:
If you are experiencing problems with your compression treatment, contact your practice nurse / community nurse / GP, as advised by your healthcare professional.
- Address: North Rd, Hertford SG14 1LP, Hertford, SG14 1LP
- Reception phone number: 0300 123 7571
- How the service is provided
- Who is eligible for the service
- What will happen at your appointment
- Useful information
- Making a referral
- Patient experience
How the service is provided
We provide holistic care and advice on the best treatment for your leg ulcer. We aim to provide support to help you manage your condition and tailor your care to your needs.
We work together with other healthcare professionals and services to ensure you receive the care you need. This includes doctors, specialist nurses, podiatry and dermatology.
Who is eligible for the service
We can support you if you:
- are 18 years and over
- have a leg ulcer that has not shown any significant progress towards healing or has deteriorated, despite having received appropriate treatment for four weeks following the holistic assessment by their referrer, or not healed at 12 weeks, and
- are registered with a GP within East and North Hertfordshire.
What will happen at your appointment
Once we have received your referral and this has been accepted, you will be contacted by a nurse to arrange an appointment. This will either be face to face, at one of our specialist leg ulcer clinics, at home (if you are housebound) or with your community / practice nurse. There is also the option of arranging virtual consultations. We aim to see patients within 10 days of receiving a referral.
Whilst you are waiting to be seen, it is important that you continue having your leg treated by your community or practice nurse.
During your appointment the specialist nurse will re-assess your leg ulcer and try to establish why it is not healing as expected. The initial appoinment may last up to two hours. This assessment may include a Doppler test, which checks the blood flow in your legs. It is likely that you may already be receiving treatment in the form of compression hoisery or bandages to your legs. This is because most ulcers are due to problems with veins in the legs, and the best treatment for this type of ulcers is compression hosiery or bandages.
At the appointment, the nurse will discuss your treatment options and will agree a shared decision on care. Depending on the treatment plan, you may be offered future appointments. If the ulcer is due to other causes, the nurse will also discuss with you about referring you to an appropriate hospital specialist, if you have not already been referred.
Useful information
Leaflets
- Aftercare for healed leg ulcers
- Cellulitis of the lower limb
- Having a doppler ultrasound
- Introduction to the leg ulcer service
- Use of steroid ointments
Links
Best practice guidance, SIGN (2010b) Management of chronic venous leg ulcers. Clinical guideline No. 120. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.
www.sign.ac.uk
RCN (2006) The nursing management of patients with venous leg ulcers. Recommendations. Royal College of Nursing.
www.rcn.org.uk
Summary of current evidence base and practical guidance on best practice, NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries.
cks.nice.org.uk
Network of resources and forum to advance education of health care professionals, Leg Ulcer Forum.
legulcerforum.org
National Wound Care Strategy Programme's Lower Limb Clinical Workstream
nationwoundcarestrategy.net
Websites
Health Information
www.patient.co.uk
Royal College Nursing clinical guideline documents for venous leg ulcers
www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/clinicalguidelines/venous_leg_ulcers
Information from the National Health Service on conditions, treatments, local services and healthy living
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Leg-ulcer-venous/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Legs Matter
https://legsmatter.org/
Making a referral
How to refer to the service
You need to be referred to the service by a healthcare professional - we do not accept self-referrals.
We take referrals from GPs, community nurses, practice nurses and hospital specialists. To make a referral into the Leg Ulcer service, please submit an online referral which is located here. For HCT staff - you can also summit a referral electronically through SystmOne. All GP surgeries need to refer via ERS.
Contact details for referrals:
Specialist Leg Ulcer Service
Integrated Care Co-ordination Hub (1st Floor)
Abel Smith House
Gunnels Wood Road
Stevenage
SG1 2ST
Email: enhertslegulcer@nhs.net
Referral Hub telephone number: 0300 123 7571
Patient experience
If you would like to share your story, please contact the Patient Experience team on 01707 388036 or email hct.patientexperienceteam@nhs.net.
