A new wound research institute in Hull is set to develop treatments for chronic wounds, in a bid to reduce pain, shorten recovery times and ease the pressure these injuries place on the NHS.
The University of Hull’s £48 million Wound Innovation Institute was announced on 15 May 2026, with UK Research and Innovation saying the facility will bring together discovery science, clinical expertise and industry collaboration to address a condition that affects more than 2 million people in the UK each year. Chronic wounds can develop after operations, amputations and as part of long-term conditions such as diabetes, and are estimated to cost the NHS £8.3 billion annually.
Research aims to improve healing and cut complications
Scientists involved in the institute are focusing on several approaches, including the skin microbiome, the reasons older people and those living with diabetes are more likely to develop wounds that fail to heal, and the role of harmful bacteria in poor outcomes. The programme is also exploring how targeted therapies could replace antibiotics in some cases, with the goal of improving healing while helping to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Read the UKRI announcement
Researchers say the wider ambition is to turn laboratory findings into treatments that can translate directly into better care. The institute will also support work on how healthy skin defends the body and what changes when wounds become chronic, with the aim of developing more precise and effective interventions.
Focus on amputations and diabetic foot ulcers
One strand of the work centres on recovery after limb loss. Researchers are testing a heat-remouldable prosthetic socket that can be fitted in a single session and reshaped as the limb heals, potentially reducing delays, clinic visits and discomfort for patients. The project also has the potential to reduce hospitalisation and help people begin rehabilitation sooner after below-the-knee amputation.
Another area of study is the use of ultrasound to promote healing in diabetic foot ulcers. UKRI said an estimated 90,000 people are living with painful foot ulcers that can affect walking, working and, in some cases, lead to lower-limb amputations. The research team says ultrasound therapy could accelerate healing and lower costs compared with conventional treatments.
Investment designed to free up NHS resources
Science Minister Lord Vallance said people with chronic wounds often live with distress and discomfort, and that the new institute should help clinicians and industry pioneer treatments that heal wounds faster, improve outcomes after surgery and free up NHS resources. Professor Matthew Hardman, director of the Wound Innovation Institute, said the project was designed to change a long-standing problem that has quietly cost the NHS billions and reduced quality of life for patients.
The University of Hull won a £16 million bid from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund to establish the national facility, with matched funding from industry partners including Polaroid Therapeutics and Reckitt. UKRI said the investment will support research infrastructure aimed at tackling major healthcare challenges and turning scientific advances into real-world benefits.
For patients and clinicians, the institute’s launch signals a broader push to improve wound care at a time when healing delays, pain and infection continue to place a heavy burden on services. If the research succeeds, it could reshape treatment pathways for some of the most difficult chronic conditions seen in everyday NHS practice.
