Cost-effective management and healing of VLUs remains a challenging problem for the NHS. The study found that the annual cost of managing an unhealed VLU was £13,500 compared to £3,000 for a healed VLU based on 2015/2016 prices. The number of new VLUs in the UK has been estimated to rise to 170 000 in 2017/18 and is predicted to cost the NHS an estimated £1⋅3 billion in the first 12 months from onset. This would be in addition to the cost of managing the existing VLUs.
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- Venous leg ulcer management in clinical practice in the UK: costs and outcomes (pdf)
Guest J, Fuller G, Vowden P. International Wound Journal 15 December 2017