A nurse who works for the NHS trust that runs Ealing Hospital is said to be one of the first in the world to highlight the importance of using a skin tone card to spot the early warning signs of pressure ulcers and other skin damage among Black and Asian patients.
Luxmi Dhoonmoon from London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH), was concerned why her patients from ethnic minorities were showing late-stage ulcers that had not been previously diagnosed.
At a late-stage, the ulcers can cause permanent muscle damage to people and that the first signs of ulcers – discoloured skin – were being hidden by patients’ darker skin tone.
In response to the findings, LNWH now issues for every healthcare assistant and nurse at its trust a skin tone card which shows a graduation of skin colours from light to dark to help healthcare professionals see if there is a potential problem.
Nurse Dhoonmoon, who specialises in tissue viability said: “Sometimes things are so obvious we overlook them.”
She added: “The combination of a lack of awareness and potential sensitivities around clinical staff querying skin tone discolouration means this has gone unnoticed. Ealing has a very diverse community so the use of skin tone cards should be common practice.“
“This isn’t about browbeating people but providing a simple but effective visual tool that helps everyone. I’ve even had a doctor contact me from Australia saying the huge benefits it could bring in treating his aboriginal patients.”
