June 2004

$2.5 million for anti-bedsore mattresses

Hospital beds across the State will be fitted with special anti-bedsore mattresses, as part of an initiative that will improve hospital care and save the system up to $10 million a year.

Announcing $2.5 million in funding as part of the initiative, Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the program would aim to halve the prevalence of bedsores within a year and help move patients more quickly from recovery beds and back to their home.

‘The funding will see 5,700 mattresses replaced across the health system,’ Ms Pike said.

‘It is envisaged that, eventually, all public hospital beds will be fitted with the new mattresses.’

Around $2 million of the funding will be spent on introducing the pressure-reducing foam mattresses in public hospitals and sub-acute facilities around the state and a further $500,000 on education sessions for doctors, nurses, podiatrists and other health staff on better ways to be alert for and prevent ulcers.

The survey will also be repeated early next year.

The funding is a response to a report by the Victorian Quality Council, which found that patients spending extended time in bed, particularly when they are not regularly moving or shifting their position, are at risk of developing pressure ulcers.

‘Older patients are especially at risk of the condition.

‘The condition can come on quickly, however, and can afflict people of all ages,’ Ms Pike said.

‘The Victorian Quality Council recommended that basic hospital mattresses should be upgraded to pressure-reducing foam as soon as practicable and this Government funding ensures we are well on the way to completing this.

‘As a result of this initiative and with the support of hospitals and health professionals we would expect the prevalence of pressure ulcers in Victorian public hospitals to halve in the next 12 months.’

The VQC survey found more than a quarter of hospital patients—around 85 per cent of them aged over 60—had some form of pressure ulcers, with heels, the lower limbs and the pelvic area the most common spots.

Estimates suggest that at least 20 per cent of the most severe ulcers required surgery or some other form of treatment, leading to a longer stay in hospital and increased healthcare costs of up to $80,000 per patient.

A recent mattress replacement program in Queensland hospitals, supported by staff education, halved the incidence of pressure ulcers, resulting in significant savings in healthcare costs.