The person is seriously unwell
Severe breathlessness, collapse, blue or grey colour, severe confusion, inability to wake, uncontrolled bleeding or another immediate danger.
Safety and urgent action
Do not wait for a photograph, score or message when urgent help may be needed.
Healing Process cannot examine the whole person and messages may not be read immediately. Follow your existing care plan and use the urgent route appropriate to the situation.
Immediate danger or serious illness: call 999. For urgent medical help that is not an immediate emergency, use NHS 111 or the urgent route given by your care team. In a hospital, tell ward staff immediately and use the hospital’s escalation route where available.
Get help rather than waiting in the app
Examples of concerning change
These examples are not a diagnosis and are not exhaustive. Seek appropriate clinical advice when you are worried.
Rapid or significant change
Rapidly spreading redness or swelling, severe or increasing pain, blackening tissue, wound opening, heavy bleeding or sudden loss of function.
Possible systemic illness
Fever, chills, marked drowsiness, confusion, vomiting, a fast deterioration or feeling much more unwell than the image appears.
Messaging boundary
A submitted message is not the same as a completed review
Only you can see it. No action has been requested.
It has entered a system, but may not have been read. Check operating hours.
A team member has taken ownership, but follow urgent advice if the situation changes.
Read the action and safety-netting. Seek help sooner if the person worsens.
Safe use
What the product should always remind people
- Continue treatment, dressings and medicines as instructed by the responsible healthcare professional.
- Do not remove or change a dressing solely to take a photograph unless that is part of the agreed care plan.
- Do not use image comparison to decide that an infection is absent or treatment can stop.
- Do not delay an appointment or urgent assessment because an image appears unchanged or “better”.
- Use the provider’s telephone, urgent-care or emergency route when messaging is unsuitable or unanswered.