Guidance

4 NHS considerations

4 NHS considerations

System impact

4.1

The claimed system benefits in the case for adoption presented by the sponsor are that the Debrisoft pad may:

  • reduce the time and resources associated with debridement, leading to a reduction in the time to healing

  • achieve more effective debridement facilitating initial assessment, which may result in less frequent and fewer overall care visits

  • reduce the amount of community care needed, leading to reduced overall costs, shorter waiting times for treatment and reduced referrals to hospital.

Committee considerations

4.2

The Committee considered that an improvement in clinical outcomes may result from faster treatment and healing of wounds. However, the Committee noted that evidence for the Debrisoft pad was presented as time to complete debridement rather than time to healing.

4.3

The Committee received expert advice that the Debrisoft pad would improve debridement and help further assessment and treatment of the wound. The Committee heard that it is plausible that the Debrisoft pad would debride a wound with 1 application. This may also be the same for larvae. Expert opinion was that it is likely that hydrogel and gauze would each take up to 10 applications to debride a wound. The Committee considered that using the Debrisoft pad instead of the comparators may reduce the number, length and frequency of nurse visits.

4.4

The Committee considered that the Debrisoft pad can be easily included as an option for debridement in wound management in the community. The Debrisoft pads are portable and readily available. No special arrangements are needed for disposal of the used dressings. No evidence was presented by the sponsor to suggest that using the Debrisoft pad would reduce referrals for specialist debridement methods.

4.5

The Committee was advised that nurses and other healthcare professionals should only use the Debrisoft pad after appropriate training in how and when to use it.