“What Matters to me is…”

Five small words. Yet when spoken and truly heard, they can reshape the way we deliver care.

Pressure ulcers or pressure injuries remain one of the most preventable causes of harm in healthcare. They don’t just affect one group of people or one type of service. They can develop in anyone, anywhere from a baby in neonatal care to an older person at home, from busy hospital wards to ambulances and hospices.

Sometimes they appear before someone reaches professional help; other times, they develop while under care. That’s why every setting, every handover, and every conversation matters.

We Know the Solutions – So Why Aren’t They Always Working?

Decades of research tell us what works. Evidence-based frameworks like the aSSKINg care bundle can dramatically reduce the risk of pressure ulcers. But even the best protocols can fall short if they’re not grounded in meaningful connection.

Too often, we describe patients as “non-compliant” or “uncooperative.” But what if the issue isn’t about compliance at all — what if it’s about communication?

Care shouldn’t happen to people. It should happen with them. Success begins when we understand what truly matters to each person, in their own words and within their own lives.

The 2025 Focus: “What Matters to Me Is…”

This year, the Society of Tissue Viability is shining a spotlight on the patient voice.
The 2025 Stop the Pressure campaign asks a simple but transformative question:

“What matters to you – in this moment, in this place?”

Throughout the year, the Society of Tissue Viability will be sharing stories and perspectives from patients, carers, and clinicians across every corner of care from A&E to community nursing, from care homes to end-of-life settings.

By putting lived experience at the centre, we can rediscover the human heart of evidence-based practice even in a system under strain.

Why “What Matters” Matters

In today’s challenging healthcare landscape, time and resources are precious but listening doesn’t cost a thing. When we start with understanding, we make better decisions, prevent more harm, and create care experiences that truly respect the person behind the patient.

Because prevention doesn’t start with a checklist – it starts with a conversation.

Join the Movement

Whether you’re a nurse, carer, educator, policymaker, or patient advocate, you have a role to play in stopping pressure ulcers.

Get involved with Stop the Pressure 2025 and help build care systems that listen, adapt, and respond to what really matters.

Visit societyoftissueviability.org to learn more about this year’s campaign and how to participate.

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