Skin breakdown affects a significant part of the UK population each year and has a major impact on sufferers, relatives and their carers. The recently published ‘Skin conditions in the UK: a Health Care Needs Assessment’ provides useful information about the burden of skin disease in the UK (Schofield et al, 2009). The document provides evidence that, even though skin problems are the commonest reason that people present to their GP with a new problem, relatively few are referred for specialist advice. This paper describes findings from the report that will be of interest to tissue viability specialists and links these findings to workforce issues and needs-based educational initiatives