This practical document is designed to support healthcare professionals and managers in developing a managed negative pressure wound therapy service. By providing clear guidance on how to secure funding and how to set up an effective service, this document aims to enhance provision of care and ensure all patients receive appropriate therapy when they need it and in the desired setting.

The successful transition of innovative wound care products from concept to widespread clinical use is not only reliant upon their demonstrated clinical effectiveness proven by randomised clinical trials, but also on the product's cost-effectiveness.

This document, a Template for management, is made up of a series of article looking at the development of a negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) service, to guide both managers and practitioners through the process of establishing a business case and then introducing and managing a service across both community and hospital-based environments. The model applied could apply equally well to the introduction of any advanced wound care therapy.

The papers in the document are:

• The importance of audit in justifying the cost-effectiveness of NPWT (Paul Trueman) - outlines the economic data supporting the introduction of NPWT and shows how audit can be used to identify current practice, establish need, and evaluate effectiveness following introduction
• Developing a business case for NPWT as a value-added service (Stella Vig) - looks at the drivers for change and in particular the quality agenda and patient demand for new technology and improved outcomes. The use of the SIMPLE concept and audit is suggested to justify usage.
• Developing a strategic framework to implement a managed service for NPWT (Kevin Williams) - outlines the strategic framework needed to develop a business case supporting the implementation of a managed service for NPWT, identifying stakeholders and the process of providing such a service.
• Integrating NPWT into the German healthcare system (Christian Willy)
• Introducting a NPWT service at Padova Hospital and surrounding area (Bassetto et al)     

The final two papers and the brief accounts by Andreas Bruhin and Elizabeth McGinnis look at how NPWT has been introduced in different national healthcare systems, providing valuable insight into the different challenges facing healthcare professionals in Europe.

More discriminating use of costly resources will allow responsible service development with the introduction of NPWT as an essential part of an integrated care pathway.

The document has been supported by an educational grant from KCI.