Innovative new wound dressing supports NHS efficiency drive while improving patient QoL

17th September 2018, Milton Keynes, UK.  Mölnlycke, a world-leading medical solutions company, today announced the launch of Mepilex^® Border Comfort, a unique dressing designed with both patient’s and the NHS budget concerns in mind. A recent survey of 200 chronic wound patients, conducted by Mölnlycke, revealed 58% complain their dressing pulls or does not move with their body.¹ A third (26%) of patients see friends or family less, and half (48%) cannot exercise or walk for long and 30% complain about daily dressing changes – impacting their quality of life.  

Increased comfort

A separate healthy volunteer study to explore user experience demonstrated that Mepilex Border Comfort addresses patient concerns: 85% agreed the all-in-one foam dressing allowed movement, 83% reported that the dressing was comfortable to wear and 79% reported it did not interfere with daily activities.   The innovative proprietary Flex Technology delivers flexibility in all directions and significantly reduces strain and stress between skin and dressing (by up to 70%).  By pulling less on the skin Mepilex^® Border Comfort improves patient comfort and reduces the risk of the dressing falling off, supporting a reduction in waste.

Extended wear time

The survey revealed that wound patients have their dressing changed on average five times a week and 30% were concerned about the frequency of dressing changes.   The longer wear time of Mepilex^® Border Comfort (of up to seven days) helps patients to feel more independent and is welcomed by clinicians, as it supports a reduction in associated healthcare costs - helping clinicians better manage their budgets. In a recent study Mepilex^® Border Comfort enabled protocol changes that led to a 57% reduction in dressing changes. 

Dr Paul Chadwick Honorary Consultant Podiatrist Salford Royal (NHS) Trust comments: “Ensuring a high quality of wound care is absolutely essential to patients’ quality of life, but visiting patients to change dressings takes a significant amount of community nurses’ time. Investment in superior dressings can reduce the frequency of changes without compromising on patient care or comfort. It can help reduce overall treatment costs, at a time when our healthcare system is really under pressure.”

Superior exudate management

Other common complaints from wound patients included dressings not containing wound fluid, resulting in oozing.¹ The unique five layer construction of Mepilex^® Border Comfort manages up to 265% more exudate than comparative foam dressings.   

“The launch of Mepilex^® Border Comfort sets a new standard in wound care,” adds Emily Fitzsimons, Head of Wound Care Marketing, Mölnlycke UK. “We know that there is pressure on healthcare organisations to drive efficiencies. Wound care is expensive and healthcare providers are rightly looking to obtain the best possible value from their investment. Mepilex^® Border Comfort allows clinicians to provide optimal care that improves patient quality of life while saving much-needed time and money.”

Increased confidence

More than three quarters of patients cited what is happening underneath the dressing and the risk of further infection as their top worries.   Mepilex^® Border Comfort has the ability to absorb, channel and trap bacteria – releasing 22 times less bacteria back into the wound bed - even under compression.  

Chronic wound patient Nicholas Booth from Surrey concludes: “Living with chronic wounds, which look like gunshot wounds, on the back of each leg definitely affects me emotionally. Day to day I am in pain – which can be mild or severe depending on how the wound was dressed at my last appointment – and this affects my sleep and, as I’m over-tired, my ability to work. However the biggest impact is the anxiety: is the wound healing underneath the dressing? Is it worse? Might it get infected? That keeps me awake at night.” 

Mepilex^® Border Comfort also features a printed dot pattern on the backing film that allows exudate levels to be reliably monitored without removing the dressing, reassuring clinicians and patients that the dressing is performing as it should in between their appointments.

-ENDS-

Lydia Fisher, Mölnlycke Press Office

MepilexBC@fourhealthcommunications.com

TEL: +44 20 3761 4494

Notes to editors

About Mölnlycke:

Mölnlycke is a world-leading medical solutions company. We’re here to advance performance in healthcare across the world, and we aspire to equip everybody in healthcare with solutions to achieve the best outcomes. We collaborate with customers to understand their needs. We design and supply medical solutions to enhance performance at every point of care – from the operating room to the home.