Knowing our journey and marking our growing pains are vital in continuing to grow. SoTV has changed as the makeup of its members has moved into different disciplines. But our core objective remains the same: improve healthcare for patients and clinicians.

The Early Days: Origins in 1979

The Society of Tissue Viability started as a regional group in 1979 in Wessex, their home base was in Salisbury and the group was made up of OTs, physios, engineers and medics, indeed the members of the regional rehab group, experts in plastic surgery, burns and spinal surgery. If that does not sound like the focus today, the group was made cohesive by the challenges of pressure ulcers. As the Society has not long released the updated seating guidelines, it feels easy to say that we have not moved the dial in that respect since 1979.

Building the Timeline of Progress

Earlier this year Charlotte Hurdman (SoTV Administrator) and PINK (marketing agency), both key to the Society’s growth and stability, created a timeline for the Trustees as a planning tool for forward strategy planning. Remember, knowing your history prevents repetition of mistakes. It started in 2003 and picked out the highlights and some lows. Research shows a little confusion over the start of study days, an activity core to our values and our offering to the healthcare sector. The timeline says 2003, but Judy Waterlow started regional study days around 1985 and taught them for 13 years after she retired. Yes, if that surname and date sound familiar, it should; that was the year she created the Waterlow score, a tool for her students to evaluate pressure ulcers (PU) that is still used internationally.

Surviving Financial Challenges

Thankfully, the highlights outnumber the lows and, out of determined and dogged handling of the lows, some of the Society’s greatest wins emerged. Conferences are almost expected from organisations in the sector and require time and skills that health professionals don’t always have. 2011 saw the appointment, on an initial 3-month term, of Charlotte Hurdman, Administrator, who is still with us today and when the external company organising the conference went into receivership, the Society’s finances were rocked and there was only £783 left in the piggy bank. The Trustees gritted their teeth and later that year, PINK marketing was added to the team roster. These additions have created control and stability in the organisation that we have come to rely on.

Collaboration and Campaigns

The Society has embraced the power of collaboration, be it as an organisation focused on building a multidisciplinary membership or holding hands with other charities, industry, educational institutions and government to adapt and challenge in increasingly “interesting times”. The Society went on to host several successful conferences around the country, as well as continuing to provide face-to-face education days. Conversations born of frustration took place at these conferences and gave birth to the campaign Legs Matter. This sits under the umbrella and protection of the Society but functions independently with annual Legs Matter awareness weeks. Legs Matter is constantly poking the stick at policy makers to keep on their radar the huge impact on patients, family, clinicians and the health economy of poor care of the lower limb wounds.

Facing Setbacks and the Pandemic

The Society was growing, developing and participating in campaigns such as Stop the Pressure and Legs Matter. Conference feedback was excellent. Regional study days were well attended and our reputation was solid as a valued independent voice. Our bank account had recovered and processes were in place to prevent a repeat of 2012, we had learnt from our history. What could go wrong. Well, quite a lot actually. In 2020, we planned our 40th anniversary, where there would be cake and balloons at our joint conference with EWMA in London, where thousands were expected to attend. Instead, we did our first virtual joint conference with EWMA for which PINK was vital, followed by our own virtual conference in 2021 and the launch of on-line rather than face-to-face study days. I remember well the panicked question of how do you record yourself presenting your PowerPoint presentation. But we kept going. I know there was a lot of use of “we must pivot” at the time. So much so that not long ago, a nurse said to me that she wondered if the powers that be thought she was a ballerina and that she now hated that word.

Crisis Response and Innovation

While we pivoted like the proverbial ballerina, crazy and amazing things happened. Many were redeployed and the Trustee workforce was decimated. It was decided that we needed a small crisis team that would meet weekly. I think at the time we thought that would go on for about a month and would just keep things ticking over. The team consisted of Nikki Stubbs, Tina Chambers, Jeannie Donnelly and me, supported by team PINK. Out of those meetings came a COVID page with information vetted to be science-based and to include mental health tools for coping. There was bizarre information popping up daily (yes, put the toilet cleaner away; the only thing that should go down is the toilet). We had pages for the public and another for clinicians and achieved over a thousand hits a day. Not bad for a website traditionally only used by health professionals.

Supporting Carers and Care Homes

But we didn’t stop there. How can we forget the horror of carers and care home workers stepping way outside their comfort zone? “We must support them” Tina and Kerry (Pink) cried. In short order, there was a plan for an education programme for our colleagues in the community but how would we fund it. On top of everything else, we decided that the Trustees would carry out a sponsored walk to raise funds. Our already hard-working colleagues took it on with enthusiasm and there was daily mileages and photos. We also successfully applied for a grant from the URGO educational fund. The Skin Champions was born and while it had a rocky start with attendance this year we have our biggest numbers yet.

New Projects and Endorsements

At the same time the Trustees developed a number of brand new projects including our educational endorsement programme giving the stamp of approval to industry education programmes. I am sure there have been times that applicants have gritted their teeth as the endorsers maintained high expectations and echoed our independent voice. An endorsement from the Society means no short cuts.

Resilience and Collaboration

As for pivoting I maintain its less about swinging around and more about the grit to keep going when you just want to pull the covers over your head. That is our core strength. In 2021 a collaboration with ISTAP and an Associates group were launched, opening a way to stop brain drain when Trustees step down and allow our members to become more active within the organisation. We adhere to the phrase If you want to go far go together.

Honouring Heroes and Expanding Knowledge

Our network and supporters have contained many heroes over the years. People are prepared to put their energies into making wound care better for everyone. Like the late Dan Bader who was the Editor of our Journal for many years and in whose name the Dan Bader award has been created. I know that he would give a wry smile and be pleased that with our new editor Declan Patton the Journal of Tissue Viability became open open-access journal in 2025. This is in line with our credos of making information available to everyone.

Looking Forward with Determination

I have read what I have written and need to take a breath. The Society has picked up speed and increasing our voice is important as we represent those often marginalised in health care. Those working in the community facing challenges with no easy fix and yes, we can pivot like Rudolf Nureyev but we have the grit of the All Blacks. Sometimes it seems like nothing changes but when I reflect on the Society’s history I know that we will not rest until it does.

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