A new national research institute has been launched in Hull to confront the "overlooked" health crisis of chronic wounds , a condition that silently costs the NHS billions annually and inflicts a "devastating impact" on thousands of patients' lives. The University of Hull ’s £48 million Wound Innovation Institute is poised to spearhead life-changing research into chronic wounds , which affect approximately 2.2 million people across the UK, leading to persistent pain and reduced mobility. The university highlights that these conditions cost the NHS an estimated £8.3 billion each year, surpassing the combined expenditure on cancer and obesity. Professor Matthew Hardman, the institute’s director, stated: "For too long, chronic wounds have quietly cost the NHS billions and had a devastating impact on quality of life. The Wound Innovation Institute exists to change that.…