The wound bed preparation (WBP) model is a paradigm to optimise chronic wound treatment. This holistic approach examines the treatment of the cause and patient-centred concerns to determine if a wound is healable, a maintenance wound, or non-healable (palliative). For healable wounds (with adequate blood supply and a cause that can be corrected), moisture balance is indicated along with active debridement and control of local infection or abnormal inflammation. In maintenance and non-healable wounds, the emphasis changes to patient comfort, relieving pain, controlling odour, preventing infection by decreasing bacteria on the wound surface, conservative debridement of slough, and moisture management including exudate control. In this fourth revision, the authors have re-formulated the WBP model into 10 statements. This article will focus on the literature in the last 5 years or new interpretations of older literature. This process is designed to facilitate knowledge translation in the clinical setting and improve patient outcomes at a lower cost to the healthcare system.