Transforming lower limb wound care programme in south east London – Information hub

Background

The burden of chronic lower limb wound care is both a large and growing issue in England, accounting for at least 42% of all wounds in the UK. Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK live day-to-day with painful and slow-healing lower leg wounds such as leg ulcers. Due to their slow healing nature, these lower limb wounds have significant costs to the NHS every year. In 2019, the estimated associated healthcare cost of leg ulcers in England was £3.1 billion per annum (based on an estimate of 739,000 leg ulcers). 

Across south east London, up to 5000 people are living with lower limb wounds each year. The Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London has been commissioned by the South East London (SEL) Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) System Sustainability Programme to support the transformation of lower limb wound care across the six boroughs: Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark.

Glossary

Note: both types of wounds listed above are different from regular wounds to the lower limbs that heal within a few weeks.

About the programme

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