Everyone receiving wound care — whether at home, in hospital, or in a care setting — has the right to safe, effective, and dignified treatment. When wounds do not heal, or when care feels inconsistent or unclear, it can be frightening and overwhelming. Understanding your rights empowers you to ask questions, seek clarity, and ensure you or your loved one receives the standard of care you deserve.
Your care should follow recognised clinical guidelines, with clear reasoning behind every decision.
This includes assessment of circulation, underlying conditions, pain, nutrition, mobility, and any factors that may delay healing.
You should understand what your wound is, why it may not be healing, and what the plan is to improve it.
Wounds should be monitored consistently, with treatment adjusted when progress is slow or complications arise.
No one should endure unnecessary pain during dressing changes or when experiencing daily life.
You should never feel blamed, dismissed, or ignored not matter the level of the Clinician, Nurse or Doctor.
If a wound deteriorates, fails to improve, or becomes infected, you have the right to timely escalation and specialist input. That means your nurse should be liaising with the NHS Tissue Viability Specialist Team.
Many people sense problems long before anyone explains them. If you feel your wound care — or a loved one’s — is not progressing as it should, you are entitled to seek independent advice.
If you feel there is neglect involved we can either contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service, (known as PALS) or the Safeguarding Team. That is your right.
Sylvie and her colleagues are highly experienced Expert Witnesses, with years of investigating poor care, identifying system failures, and helping families understand what went wrong and what should have happened.
We offer confidential, professional guidance when you:
You deserve clarity, safety, and confidence in your care — and we are here to support you.
