Member Article

North East and North Cumbria to receive £18.4 million for clinical research

The launch of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network: North East and North Cumbria will bring £18.4 million funding to the regions.

The Network – one of 15 across England - brings together local hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and other healthcare providers from across the region, to collaborate in conducting high quality clinical research studies that could lead to better treatments for NHS patients.

NIHR Clinical Research Network: North East and North Cumbria will receive around £18.4 million of funding this year to invest in clinical research nurses to match patients with appropriate research opportunities, carry out the clinical duties required for the studies and cover research-related costs such as x-rays and scans.

Having the opportunity to take part in research studies is important to the region’s patients and carers. According to a consumer poll carried out by Censuswide last year, 97% of people in the North East and North Cumbria said that NHS doctors and nurses should always tell patients about clinical trials that would be suitable for them.

Dr Jonathan Sheffield, chief executive of the Network at a national level explained: “The Network has in fact been running for a while, but from April 2014 we will be operating in a new structure that will help us to reach out to even more healthcare providers and patients, and really make clinical research a part of the “day job” for the NHS – which is what it should be.”

Leading the new Network will be Professor Stephen Robson, clinical director and Nadine Bleasby who has been appointed as chief operating officer.

Stephen Robson is Professor of Fetal Medicine and a member of the Institute of Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University and Nadine Bleasby joins the Network from the NIHR Comprehensive Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre where she led the operations team.

Professor Stephen Robson, clinical director, said: “The launch of the CRN: North East and North Cumbria heralds an exciting new phase for Clinical Research in our region.

“We already have an outstanding reputation for delivering cutting edge Clinical Research and we are looking forward to continuing the success of the Network and driving research to make patients, and the NHS, better.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .