A new national research institute has been launched in Hull to confront the "overlooked" health crisis of chronic wounds, a condition that silently costs the NHS billions annually and inflicts a "devastating impact" on thousands of patients' lives.
The University of Hull’s £48 million Wound Innovation Institute is poised to spearhead life-changing research into chronic wounds, which affect approximately 2.2 million people across the UK, leading to persistent pain and reduced mobility.
The university highlights that these conditions cost the NHS an estimated £8.3 billion each year, surpassing the combined expenditure on cancer and obesity.
Professor Matthew Hardman, the institute’s director, stated: "For too long, chronic wounds have quietly cost the NHS billions and had a devastating impact on quality of life. The Wound Innovation Institute exists to change that. We’re delivering world-leading research that translates directly into better care, faster recovery and easing pressure on NHS services."
Officially opening on Friday, the institute brings together academic research, clinical expertise, and private sector manufacturing. A primary focus for the new national body will be enhancing outcomes for individuals living with diabetic foot ulcers, an area the university notes has often been neglected.
Around 90,000 people in the UK with diabetes suffer from foot ulcers, which can severely limit their independence. More than half of these wounds fail to heal within a year, escalating the risk of serious infection and lower-limb amputation. Such amputations are linked to a five-year mortality rate that exceeds that of many cancers, according to the university.
The institute is also pioneering efforts to transform recovery following below-the-knee amputations. This includes testing a heat-remouldable prosthetic socket that can be fitted in a single session and reshaped as the limb heals. This technology, developed by Amparo Prosthetics, has already been deployed in conflict zones, including Gaza, where it has provided immediate care to patients.
The University of Hull secured a £16 million grant from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) to establish the facility, with additional funding from industry partners such as Polaroid Therapeutics (PTx) and Reckitt.
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, executive chairwoman of Research England, commented: "Chronic wounds represent a huge and often invisible burden on patients and the NHS alike, and this institute brings together the scientific excellence, clinical partnerships and industry collaboration needed to make a real difference. The University of Hull has built something genuinely transformative here, and I’m proud that the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund is helping to turn world-leading research into better outcomes for millions of people across the country."
Science minister Lord Vallance added: "People living with chronic wounds that fail to heal are forced to struggle on in distress and discomfort. That’s why we are determined to support new innovations to deliver a health service which is fit for the future, improves lives and delivers real impact for people.
The new Wound Innovation Institute in Hull will help us do exactly that – allowing clinicians and industry to pioneer treatments which heal wounds faster, improve outcomes after surgery, and free up more resources for our NHS to do what it does best."
