The NHS’s research ecosystem is set for a huge boost as almost £100m of funding is announced for organisations up and down England.
The investment – worth more than £96m – will be ringfenced for new equipment and technology that will expand research capacity across the health service.
Everything from imaging devices and ultrasound equipment all the way to mobile research vehicles and specialist storage facilities will be part of the overhaul.
More than £20m of the money is being funnelled into smaller NHS trusts in the bid to improve research delivery within communities and rural areas.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which is awarding the funding, emphasises the importance of using the investment to improve patient access to cutting-edge clinical trials, as well as the hope it attracts further investment in the sector.
Liverpool University Hospitals and Leeds Teaching Hospitals will be two of the beneficiaries, with both organisations planning to spend their money on new mobile CT scanners – to support lung cancer diagnosis in Liverpool and to boost clinical trial engagement in Leeds.
Local NHS leaders across the Southwest Peninsula will invest in four mobile research units to widen their catchment areas and bring innovative research to more people.
NIHR’s chief executive, Professor Lucy Chappell, said: “The best health and care research requires a number of important elements to come together: world-class researchers, cutting-edge facilities and the generous participation of the public.
“As we celebrate 75 years of our amazing NHS, today’s announcement reminds us that all three elements are firmly in place in this country, and that the UK as a whole remains one of the best places in the world to undertake clinical trials.
“We are so grateful for the continuing support of the many people who take part in research to help shape our future health and care. Thank you to everyone who has done so this year, and I hope even more people will be part of research in the future.”
