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£64 million funding to back UK-wide plan to strengthen clinical research delivery

Following the bold vision ‘Saving and improving lives: the future of UK clinical research delivery’ published in March, the UK government and devolved administrations have set out the first phase of activity to ensure research will have better health outcomes and allow more patients to be involved in, and benefit from, research of relevance to them.

The activity for the coming months will include:

  • the development and trial of new COVID-19 treatments and vaccines
  • making UK clinical research delivery easier through more rapid ethics reviews and faster approval processes
  • boosting clinical research capacity with more virtual and remote trials
  • increasing diversity and participation in research in communities traditionally under-served by research
  • digitising the clinical research process to allow researchers to find patients, offer them places in trials, and monitor health outcomes.

Robin Swann, Health Minister, Northern Ireland, said:

“Northern Ireland recognises the value of a UK-wide approach to clinical research and we are committed to participation in the delivery of this vision. We are already fully involved in many of the UK-wide work streams, working in partnership towards collective and compatible solutions to create a clinical research ecosystem which benefits all patients across the UK.”

Close collaborative and partnership working between organisations right across the UK through the Clinical Research Recovery, Resilience and Growth programme - which includes representatives from all UK health departments, the NHS, regulators, the NIHR, medical research charities and industry - will help make the UK one of the best places in the world to conduct cutting-edge clinical research.