Michelle Stephens, Manager of the Research and Development Centre at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating the fact that it is in the top three of North West acute Trusts for recruiting to research studies.
The Trust is third highest in the North West coast for the number of recruiting studies with 96 studies in 2016/17, a 4.3 per cent increase since 2015/16. Royal Liverpool Hospital was first with 152 studies and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was second with 120 studies.
Every year the Research Activity League Table is published by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN), to present research activity across all NHS trusts in England.
The table provides a picture of how much clinical research is happening, where it is taking place, in what types of trusts and how many patients are involved.
This year (2016/17) the league table reveals that 65 per cent of NHS trusts across England increased their research activity during 2016/17, an eight per cent increase on 2015/16.
Michelle Stephens, Research and Development Manager at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, said: “We work hard to open more research studies and offer more opportunities for patients to be involved in our research studies.
“We are delighted to be in the top three of acute Trusts in the North West coast.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the 1,434 patients who were recruited to one of our studies in 2016/17. Without their contribution on their trials or studies, advances in science and health care could not be made.”
Jonathan Sheffield, NIHR Clinical Research Network Chief Executive Officer, said: “The increase in the number of clinical research participants last year and the improvements we are seeing in studies delivering to time and target are fantastic achievements that are contributing to better health and care outcomes in this country.
Members of the Research team at Blackpool Victoria Hospital
“Researchers can be more confident of being able to complete their studies, and more patients will benefit from new and better treatments becoming available.
“Sixty five per cent of trusts increased their research activity in 2016/17, demonstrating the growing appetite for research within the NHS. We must continue to invest in the opportunities that clinical research presents, by looking at more innovative ways of delivery and making better use of digital advancements in the health and care sector.”