- The University of Hull has launched the £48 million Wound Innovation Institute to address the "overlooked" health crisis of chronic wounds, which affect approximately 2.2 million people across the UK and cost the NHS an estimated £8.3 billion annually.
- The institute aims to spearhead life-changing research, bringing together academic research, clinical expertise, and private sector manufacturing to improve care, accelerate recovery, and alleviate pressure on NHS services.
- A primary focus will be enhancing outcomes for individuals with diabetic foot ulcers, a condition affecting around 90,000 people in the UK, where more than half of wounds fail to heal within a year, increasing the risk of serious infection and lower-limb amputation.
- The institute is also pioneering efforts to transform recovery following below-the-knee amputations, including testing a heat-remouldable prosthetic socket developed by Amparo Prosthetics, which has already been used in conflict zones like Gaza.
- Funding for the institute includes a £16 million grant from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF), supplemented by contributions from industry partners such as Polaroid Therapeutics (PTx) and Reckitt.
IN FULL
New research institute launched to fight chronic wound crisis costing NHS billions
