Patients and healthcare professionals join forces to drive up standards in wound care

It has been estimated that 3.8 million people in the UK live with a chronic wound (Mölnlycke, 2022a). Wounds can negatively impact an individual's social, psychological and physical well-being, causing pain, discomfort and loss of mobility, affecting their quality of life (Fearns et al, 2017). Unhealed wounds can have a notable effect on a patient's mental health, leading to anxiety and depression (Fearns et al, 2017).

A report published by Making Wound Care Work estimated that one in fifty people in Britain currently rely on wound care services, but variation in standards means that patients are having mixed experiences across the country (Mölnlycke, 2022a). During the COVID-19 pandemic, 42% of wound care patients stated that the place where they usually receive care had changed, with 29% trying to receive care in person (either at a clinic or via home care services), but failing (The Patient Association, 2021). More so, 33% of patients reported managing their own wounds due to the pandemic (Blackburn et al, 2019).