Dozens of NHS trusts across England have been awarded a share of a new £30m fund to upgrade the health service’s medical equipment and technology, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has announced in the latest bid to boost research capacity.
The NIHR says the investment spans the length and breadth of the country with NHS organisations able to apply for funding between £50,000 and £1.5m.
Leaders applying from smaller, rural and coastal areas were especially encouraged in order to build research capabilities in those areas. A total of 36 organisations were awarded funding.
Technology boost
The funding is intended to improve the NHS’s ability to deliver cutting edge research, in turn making advancements in disease prevention, management and treatment.
Some of the medical equipment purchased with the money includes new:
- Imaging devices
- MRI scanners
- Ultrasound scanners
- Mobile research vehicles
For the more rural trusts, investment in modular buildings has been prioritised to expand research capability and capacity.
How it will be used
While the broad remit for the investment is to improve research, the equipment and technology may be used clinically during periods of inactivity.
Procurement examples include a new mobile x-ray unit at Walsall Healthcare which will enable the organisation to carry out clinical trials usually only possible at large research units.
At Alder Hey Children’s, advanced MRI technology is cutting travel and boosting overall research capacity by allowing patients to participate in research at their usual clinic.
The Royal Marsden, meanwhile, has used the funding to expand capability and capacity in advanced oncology therapy across its commercial and non-commercial portfolios.
For Southern Health (now Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare) and East Lancashire Hospitals, however, a standalone pharmacy space and pharmacy dispensary has been acquired, enhancing the two organisations’ trial-running ability in areas such as dementia.
The area of Hull will see a mobile research unit increase participation in clinical trials, while modular buildings will improve research capacity in Bradford, Essex, Exeter and Derby.
Significant investment
“This significant investment will provide NHS trusts in England with the high-quality equipment, technology and facilities they need to deliver cutting edge research that benefits the public,” said the NIHR’s CEO, Professor Lucy Chappell.
She added: “The NIHR is directing this funding so that it reaches the areas and people with the greatest need, giving more communities the chance to take part in life-changing clinical trials.
“This will not only benefit patients directly, but also support the economic growth of the country, helping to position the UK as an attractive place for innovative companies to invest in research.”
Image credit: iStock
