All NHS trusts in England are now offering research to patients, according to new data from the National Institute for Health Research, securing better access to cutting edge treatments and care.
The 2015/16 NIHR Activity League Table also shows that 60 percent of trusts and 53 percent of clinical commissioning groups have increased their research activity last year, giving more patients the chance to taking part in studies testing the latest innovations.
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust topped the table for the fifth year running with the highest number of research studies (514) being undertaken.
Also of note, the table shows that last year 36 percent of studies were new commercial contracts.
Barts Health NHS Trust features at the top of the league table for the amount of commercial studies delivered (140), and also have the biggest increase in studies from last year (279 to 335) joint with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (365 to 421) who both saw a 56 study increase.
“Commercial involvement in clinical research speeds up the development and availability of new treatments, therapies and diagnostics for NHS patients,” noted Dr Jonathan Sheffield, chief executive of the NIHR CRN.
“The UK is a destination of choice with 35,000 participants recruited to studies sponsored by the life sciences industry in England last year.”
