In an ageing population, such as that of the UK, wound care is a critical issue because of the burden it places on patients, carers and healthcare providers. “As obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and an ageing population all increase, so do the number of people with chronic wounds.” The way in which healthcare services respond to this challenge will determine how long people suffer from their wounds, and what the overall cost of their treatment is.
Wound care contributes to the healing process in 4 ways by:
A study carried out in 2013/14, led by Professor Peter Vowden, found that over the course of a year, the NHS managed 2.2 million patients with wounds requiring more than 4 weeks of follow-up care. The cost was £5.3 billion, annually.
Leg ulcers and surgical wounds were found to be the most costly wounds to treat. Patients’ wounds were cared for predominantly in the community, incurring 18.6 million practice nurse visits, 10.9 million community nurse visits, 7.7 million general practitioner (GP) visits and 3.4 million hospital outpatient visits.
The Vowden study was updated in 2017/18. It found that the number of patients needing wound care had increased, and this lead to an increase in the use of healthcare resources. The NHS cost of wound care in 2017/2018 was an estimated £8.3 billion.
In response to the 2013/14 study NHS England and NHS Improvement established the National Wound Care Strategy (NWCSP) with the aim of improving the care of pressure ulcers, lower limb ulcers and surgical wounds. The work of the programme seeks to “reduce unnecessary variation, improve safety, and optimise patient experience and outcomes.”
LDA Research works on wound care research projects across the world with our international partners. We have access to specialist nurses, practice nurses, community nurses, GPs, clinicians and patients across the world, all of whom understand and deal with wound care on a daily basis.
We invited our partners in France, Germany, the US and Mexico to tell us about who administers wound care in their professional healthcare structures. In each case wound care is carried out by an interdisciplinary network of nurses, doctors and specialists.
LDA’s reputation for international research and global intelligence is built on our success in accessing patients and healthcare professionals worldwide. Wound care is one of our busiest areas of research; to date we have conducted more than 50 specialist research projects in this area. This means that we have access to patients and HCPs specialising in wound care from around the world.
Would you like to speak to someone from LDA Research about a wound care research project? Call us today on 01525 861436