Wound care
individuals with wounds are also informal carers, such as grandparents providing childcare. When their mobility is restricted, it has a ripple effect across families and communities. In light of this, wound care should be considered as part of the NHS’s contribution to national productivity. As the Government seeks to address workforce participation and reduce health-related economic inactivity, ensuring that people can return to work, or continue caring responsibilities, should be a key objective of wound care policy. The costs of inaction are too high. In addition
to the economic burden, chronic wounds often lead to increased hospital admissions, emergency visits, and long-term complications. Conversely, faster healing and better management can reduce pressure on A&E departments and support NHS recovery targets. Establishing a national wound care outcomes dashboard could help quantify these savings. Tracking healing rates, recurrence, and resource use over time would provide compelling data for policy change.
The acute impact of community wounds Although wound care is often perceived as a community-managed challenge, there is growing evidence of its acute impact. Recent NHS data shows a sharp rise in A&E attendances related to dermatological conditions, many of which are wound-related, driven in part by patients unable to access timely GP or community care. These attendances are not benign: patients presenting with wounds often have multiple comorbidities, arrive by ambulance, and face high likelihoods of admission, further compounding bed capacity and extending waiting times for elective treatment. The average cost of a non-elective admission now exceeds £2,4007
– more than twice that of
a planned admission – highlighting the financial burden of preventable emergency care. As urgent treatment centres are being introduced to ease pressure on emergency departments, wound care must be part of the conversation, with improved community capacity, proactive management, and early intervention central to reducing avoidable admissions.
Looking Ahead The ABHI Wound Care Group will continue its work in 2025 and beyond to ensure that wound care is no longer treated as a peripheral issue. The group will respond to the ambitions of the Government’s 10-Year Health and Care Plan, and assess how wound care can be embedded into its priorities – particularly around prevention, digital transformation, and workforce reform. The group will also continue its focus on
strengthening its links with policymakers, building the evidence base for action, and working with NHS stakeholders to raise awareness of wound care’s value. In doing so, the ABHI Wound Care Group will support a stronger, more efficient healthcare system. It will ensure that innovations are not only developed, but deployed; that clinicians have the tools and training they need; and that patients receive the care they deserve.
Conclusion Wound care must be seen for what it is: a foundational element of the UK’s health system, critical to achieving better outcomes, reducing inequalities, and ensuring financial sustainability. It is a space where small improvements can yield significant gains, not just for individual patients, but for the NHS as a whole. Through its work across policy, procurement,
innovation, and system engagement, the ABHI Wound Care Group is helping to raise the standard. But more support is needed. If wound care is to move from the margins to the mainstream, it must be recognised as a national priority, and underpinned by central coordination, strong clinical leadership, and dedicated investment. With costs exceeding £8.3 billion annually, and the potential to release substantial NHS capacity, the economic case is compelling. The ABHI Wound Care Group is uniquely positioned to support this transformation – offering the expertise, insight, and cross-sector collaboration needed to deliver meaningful change.
CSJ
References 1.
https://wounds-uk.com/must-reads/the- burden-of-wound-care-study-explained/ 2.
https://www.healthinnovationwestmidlands.
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org/wound-care-pathways-project/
3.
https://thehealthinnovationnetwork.co.uk/ programmes/wound-care/#:~:text=By%20 improving%20lower%20limb%20wound,lower%20 limb%20and%20surgical%20wounds.
4. McCaughan D, Sheard L, Cullum N, Dumville J, Chetter I. Patients’ perceptions and experiences of living with a surgical wound healing by secondary intention: A qualitative study. Int J Nurs Stud. 2018 Jan;77:29-38. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.09.015. Epub 2017 Sep 28. PMID: 29031127; PMCID: PMC5744862.
5.
https://wounds-uk.com/journal-articles/ addressing-real-world-challenges-for- community-nurses-active-treatment-for-non- healing-wounds/
6.
www.nationalwoundcarestrategy.net 7.
https://hsjinformation.co.uk/sites/default/ files/2024-08/State%20of%20the%20Nation%20 2023_HSJ%20Advisory%20whitepaper.pdf?utm_ source=
chatgpt.com
About the ABHI
ABHI supports the HealthTech community to provide products and services that help people live healthier lives. As the voice of the industry, we show the value of health technology and overcome barriers to people benefitting from it now and in the future. Members include leading multinationals through to small and medium sized enterprises. We represent the HealthTech industry to key stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare systems and regulators. If you would like to know more about the
work of the ABHI Wound Care Group, or ABHI’s wider activity, contact
enquiries@abhi.org.uk
Annabell Gsödl -
stock.adobe.com
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