Thought Leadership: Why the UK�s leading wound care conference has to be based in Leeds City Region

�In the simplest terms the Wounds UK conference comes to Leeds City Region because of the region�s continued position as a world leader in the field of wound care and health. However to look at this in more depth, we must understand what makes the City Region the world leader. This position is a result of the perfect ecosystem that is located here which comprises nine universities that are undertaking work in the field, a diverse population which includes a plethora of researchers and strong business base.

�The result of this ecosystem is that the City Region has become the home of a number of national specialist bodies; including the Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention (ISIaIP) at the University of Huddersfield, where I am based. Here we are at the forefront of wound care medicine and working collaboratively with both national and internationally renowned clinicians and industry leaders to develop evidence based interventions related to skin integrity and infection prevention/management.

�The region is also home to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) WoundTec Healthcare Technology Co-operative (HTC), which is based at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It is here that my colleagues are playing a pivotal role in transforming the provision of wound care and wound prevention services in the NHS, as well as assisting the identification, development and introduction of new wound care technologies for the benefit of patients.

�However we must remember it�s not only specialist institutes that are working in the wound care sector. The NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme has recognised the City Region�s strengths in wound care and as a result commissioned the University of Leeds to look in to �what works� in the care of chronic wounds by nurses, how nurses make decisions about wound care, as well as methods for preventing wounds, in particular pressure ulcers.

�All of this work however is further bolstered by the additional provisions that are here. These include the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre at the University of Huddersfield which helps drive collaborations between businesses and the higher education institutions, and a world class businesses that includes Systagenix, Avita Medical Ltd and Smith and Nephew.

�So with all that in mind, I honestly believe there is nowhere better than Leeds City Region to host the Wound UK Annual Conference, because it provides organisers with access to the world leading clinical and business expertise that are shaping the sector and are based in the City Region.�

Dr Karen Ousey will be taking part in the Wounds UK annual conference, which will be held on 9-11 November 2015 at the Harrogate International Centre. This years' event will feature over 17 hours of fresh clinical content, including Made Easy workshops, which will provide all delegates with a more intimate and rewarding learning environment. For more information click here.