Rachel is a Podiatrist by Profession, educated to Masters Level in Clinical Practice – her specialist areas being Wound Management and Tissue Viability.

She worked in the UK National Health Service for over 12 years in both acute- and community-based settings progressing to Deputy Head of Department & Clinical Lead Specialist developing dedicated services for the management of diabetic foot ulceration and Foot Protection Teams. She has completed research, published, and presented nationally and internationally at core Congress.

Rachel is currently a global Director at Convatec, leading Wound Hygiene Strategy and clinical solutions.

Symposium at The Society of Tissue Viability 2025 Conference

Industry marketing vs evidence: dressing down the myths and exposing the evidence for anti-infectives

Objectives

This session suitable for:

• Tissue Viability specialists
• District nurses
• Wound care specialists
• Podiatrists
• You don’t need any background knowledge of microbiology. You just need to be interested in evidence

Learning points:

• The role of biofilm in wounds
• To challenge biofilm claims made by dressing manufacturers
• Different testing methods used to make anti-biofilm claims
• RCT-level evidence for anti-biofilm dressings
• How to make more informed decisions about when to use anti-infective dressings

Abstract

Biofilm is a significant barrier to healing found in nearly 8 out of 10 hard-to-heal wounds. But how do you know if an antibiofilm dressing will be clinically effective?

This session illuminates the role of biofilm in delayed wound healing, explores the evidence for antibiofilm dressings and pulls back the curtain on claims made by manufacturers.