HEALTH chiefs have raised concerns after eight patients developed painful pressure sores between January and August at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

All eight of the patients had grade three or four pressure sores, which is at the severe end of the scale, and three cases are being investigated internally as Serious Untoward Incidents.

Pressure sores are an injury affecting skin and tissue, caused when an area of skin is placed under too much pressure, such as when a patient has been lying in bed for too long.

The cases were revealed at Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group’s board meeting.

In May last year, the Royal Bolton Hospital was named one of the worst in the country for patients suffering from painful pressure ulcers in a report by health consultancy Dr Foster Intelligence.

In August, an inquest heard how a disabled man, Mr Peter Henshall, was not turned in his hospital bed causing him to develop painful pressure sores.

Just a month later, the hospital apologised for “sub-standard” care after 88-year-old Mr John Thorpe developed painful pressure sores while in the Trust’s care.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust says it has been rolling out a programme of changes to try to prevent patients developing painful sores.

The Trust has bought new beds to move patients more easily.

This will reduce friction that can damage to the delicate skin of elderly and sick patients.

Patients who are immobile due to their condition, for example hip fractures, are nursed in beds made to a very high standard of pressure-relieving properties. Risk assessments are carried out to identify patients at high risk of developing sores and they are put on care plans.

The Trust has also set up a panel of specialists so any grade three or four pressure ulcer is reviewed to establish whether it could have been avoided and for lessons to be learned.

Helen Clarke, deputy chief nurse at the Trust, said: “Pressure sores are not only painful but for those patients who are particularly frail and vulnerable they can also be very serious and detrimental to their condition.

“While some pressure sores are deemed to be unavoidable, others are not and we’re determined to do everything we can to prevent patients from developing them.”

“It is something that we take particularly seriously in Bolton and are working hard to bring improvements.”