Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of using smart bandages for treating wounds.

The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) has been commissioned by NHS England to improve the prevention and care of pressure ulcers, lower limb ulcers and surgical wounds. Its mission is to implement a consistently high standard of wound care across England, reducing unnecessary variation, improving safety and by optimising patient experience and outcomes.

To date, we are unaware of any robust research evidence to support the use of ‘smart bandages’ as a standard clinically and cost-effective therapeutic intervention but will continue to seek evidence about such potentially beneficial innovations.