Research on venous leg ulcer treatments, doggedly pursued by two University of Manchester academics since 1989, has greatly influenced NICE guidance issued this month.
The work by Professors Jo Dumville and Nicky Cullum on the most effective types of compression treatments is good news for the hundreds of thousands of patients affected by venous leg ulcers every year, costing the NHS tens of millions of pounds.
Venous ulcers are a common long-term condition which adversely affect people's quality of life; nurses deliver the majority of care, which takes the form of compression therapy as a first-line treatment.
According to the NHS National Wound Care Strategy Programme, venous leg ulcers account for 60% to 80% of all leg ulcers.