University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) has secured funding as part of a £100m national investment to give more people the opportunity to take part in health research.
Based at the Leicester General Hospital, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) will act as a regional hub for pioneering clinical trials.
The CRDC will support a network of researchers in hospitals and GP practices across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, delivering trials for a range of health conditions.
Following on from the successful NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre (PRC): Leicester, the CRDC will continue to create opportunities to test new treatments with the latest equipment and technology. It will also continue to support the rapid set-up of commercial studies, funded by the life sciences industry, so patients can begin accessing treatments undergoing trials as early as possible.
Professor Melanie Davies, Clinical Director for PRC: Leicester, explains: "We are delighted to have been successful in our bid to host one of the new Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDC) here in Leicester and continue to build on our achievements as a Patient Recruitment Centre (PRC).
"It's really important that research at all levels, including commercial research, is delivered in the NHS because we know that patients have better outcomes in healthcare settings where research takes place. Research brings new treatments more quickly to the benefit of patients and helps support the health and wealth of the nation.
"This new funding will enable us to continue to invest in research staff for the CRDC, based at the Leicester General Hospital, but also establish and develop research sites in the community, to make it easier for people in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire to access opportunities to take part in research."
The funding is part of a wider £400 million joint public-private investment scheme – the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme.
VPAG is a unique partnership between the government and the pharmaceutical industry to boost the global competitiveness of the UK life science sector and stimulate economic growth.
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron, who visited PRC: Leicester on Monday 9 December, said:
‘’I was delighted to visit Leicester’s Patient Recruitment Centre this week to see the great work happening to unlock the next generation of treatments.
“The new Centre in Leicester will be one of 20 Commercial Research Delivery Centres across the UK and will help shift research into smaller communities, allowing more people to access cutting-edge treatments faster.
“This significant private investment in Commercial Research Delivery Centres is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK’s leading research and life sciences sector."
Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and chief executive officer of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), said:
“Clinical trials help improve lives. Boosting the NHS’s capacity to deliver commercial clinical research through these new Commercial Research Delivery Centres will support recruitment across all communities and bring innovative treatments to patients.
“The effects of these centres will be felt right across the four nations, bringing investment into the UK’s life sciences sector.”
Notes to editors:
VPAG is a voluntary agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), designed to improve patient outcomes, manage the NHS medicines bill, and support the life sciences industry. Launched as part of the scheme, additional investment from pharmaceutical companies will support implementation of the investment programme.
