Wound care and pressure ulceration in midwifery: a neglected area?

Wound care and pressure ulceration in midwifery are important and neglected areas within the profession where much work needs to be done, both clinically and educationally. Indeed, the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has announced plans to work with the NHS to reduce levels of harm in ten high risk areas and one of these is ‘reducing avoidable harm in childbirth’ (NPSA, 2010). Although I am now an academic midwife, I still practise as a bank midwife in local NHS birth centres and community midwifery and have a long career history in the NHS. During my career I have seen advice and treatments for wound care in our profession change regularly, and often according to the preferences of the obstetrician and midwife. Pressure ulceration is not a new phenomenon in midwifery, but the need to avoid unnecessary harm to women in childbirth is becoming increasingly important because of advances in pain management and choices now available for women.