3 September 2013
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals is one of 15 NHS Trusts/Foundation Trusts in England to be appointed to run a local branch of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network, it was announced today.
The NIHR Clinical Research Network is the clinical research delivery arm of the NHS. It provides funding to hospitals and surgeries to pay for research nurses, scans, x-rays and other costs associated with carrying out clinical research in the NHS.
The Network helps to increase the opportunities for the Yorkshire and the Humber patients to take part in clinical research, ensures that studies are carried out efficiently, and supports the Government’s Strategy for UK Life Sciences by helping companies to carry out vital clinical research into potential life-saving new treatments and improved ways to diagnose illnesses in the NHS.
Since April, the NIHR Clinical Research Network has been carrying out a rigorous selection process to identify the NHS Trusts/Foundation Trusts to run its 15 local branches across England. The process was open to all NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts in the region.
As the chosen Trust for Yorkshire and the Humber, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be awarded a five year contract from the Department of Health through the NIHR, and will take responsibility for distributing over £25m of funding per year, to support clinical research across the whole area.
Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very excited that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded this important role to make sure our region is at the forefront of clinical research. We look forward to working closely in partnership with all the other excellent NHS Trusts in our region to make sure all our patients benefit from the research that is carried out.”
The Chair of the selection panel, Dr Jonathan Sheffield, Chief Executive of the NIHR Clinical Research Network, said:
“The host organisations are our local administrative branches – but they are so much more than that. They will help to set the level of ambition for clinical research delivery locally, and assist us in making sure that clinical research occupies the place it deserves in the day-to-day work of the NHS. We were extremely impressed with the commitment shown by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust during the selection process, and I very much look forward to working with them to increase the opportunities for patients to participate in research, and develop the treatments of the future.”
