Major national research institute to reduce burden on NHS from chronic wounds

A new national research institute is bringing together world leading discovery science, clinical expertise and industry collaboration, transforming patient recovery and reducing the burden on the NHS.

The University of Hull’s £48m Wound Innovation Institute will drive life‑changing innovation - from advanced wound treatments for diabetic patients to breakthroughs for prosthetic users.

Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:“ 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.”

Chronic wounds affect an estimated 2.2 million people across the UK, causing long‑term pain, infection and reduced mobility, and costing the NHS 8.3bn annually – more than cancer and obesity.

Professor Matthew Hardman, Director of the Wound Innovation Institute, said: “For too long, chronic wounds have quietly cost the NHS billions and had 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.”

The University was awarded a highly competitive £16m bid from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) to establish this national facility. The Institute is match funded by industry partners including Polaroid Therapeutics (PTx) and Reckitt.

UKRPIF, delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), enables Universities to develop groundbreaking research infrastructure to tackle some of the biggest research challenges.

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England, who will be at the launch, said: “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.”

Life-changing, interdisciplinary discovery science underway at the Wound Innovation Institute

One strand of the Institute’s work focuses on the skin microbiome, the community of bacteria living on the skin, and its role in protecting against infection and supporting healing.

Researchers are uncovering why older people and those living with diabetes are far more likely to develop wounds that fail to heal, and how specific harmful bacteria drive poor outcomes.

Using cutting‑edge genomic technologies and working closely with NHS clinicians, the team is showing how targeted therapies could replace broad‑spectrum antibiotics, improving healing, while helping tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

By understanding exactly how healthy skin protects us and what changes when wounds fail to heal, researchers can develop more precise, effective treatments that prevent infection and support recovery. This research has the potential to reduce hospitalisation and prevent amputations.

Researchers are also focused on improving outcomes for people living with diabetic foot ulcers, whose experiences have too often been overlooked.

Around 90,000 people in the UK with diabetes are living with painful foot ulcers that can limit their ability to walk, work and live independently, placing significant strain on both financial and emotional wellbeing. More than half of these wounds fail to heal within a year, increasing the risk of serious infection and lower‑limb amputation, a procedure associated with a five‑year mortality rate higher than that of many cancers. Through research into innovative treatments, including the use of shockwave therapy to promote healing, researchers are paving the way for faster healing.

The Institute is also leading work to transform recovery after limb loss, where delays often slow rehabilitation.

Following a below‑the‑knee amputation, patients are usually fitted with a prosthetic limb, but in the first year after surgery the shape of their residual limb changes. Traditional prosthetic sockets can’t adapt, with poorly fitting sockets often becoming painful or unusable, forcing patients to wait weeks or months for replacements.

Researchers are testing a heat‑remouldable prosthetic socket that can be fitted in a single session and reshaped as the limb heals, therefore reducing delays, clinic visits and discomfort. This technology, developed by industry partner Amparo Prosthetics, has already been used in conflict zones, including Gaza, where its ability to be made and fitted in a single session, even in challenging surroundings, has enabled patients to receive immediate, effective care.

Early pilot work has already shown improved skin healing and comfort, even while wounds are still present, opening the door to much earlier mobilisation after surgery.

More information on the Wound Innovation Institute’s work is available here