<p>Wounds are a common clinical problem, cared for in most, if not all, clinical settings. Chronic wounds, including chronic pressure, leg and diabetic foot ulcers, adversely affect patients’ lives as they experience lengthy healing times, pain, psychological distress and delays in returning to normal activity. Typically, chronic wounds affect the older person, and, with an increasing proportion of older people in the population, the financial burden on the National Health Service (NHS) is set to increase. Pressure ulcers, for example, pose particular problems, as they are common and the cost of prevention and treatment is high; estimates range from £600,000 to £3 million for a 600-bed general hospital (Clark and Watts 1994, Touche Ross 1993). In a similar way, costs associated with the treatment of patients with leg and diabetic foot ulceration are also increasing.</p>