Patients across Greater Manchester, and the UK, will have greater access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials following a government announcement of £100 million of private investment to set up local research hubs.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Commercial Research Delivery Centre (GM CRDC) is one of 20 CRDCs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and one of three in the North West, along with Liverpool and Blackpool.
Hosted by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) with an award from the NIHR of more than £4.7million, NIHR GM CRDC will complement and utilise the strength, experience and expertise of Greater Manchester’s existing large and diverse NIHR portfolio, including the MFT-hosted Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester Clinical Research Facility, and HealthTech Research Centre in Emergency and Acute Care.
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said: “This significant private investment in health research is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK’s leading research and life sciences sector.
“Prevention is better than cure – these trials will help unlock the next generation of treatments, boost economic growth and build an NHS fit for the future.”
GM CRDC will act as regional hub for pioneering clinical trials, creating opportunities to test innovative new treatments with the latest equipment and technology.
These trials will build upon research into cancer and obesity, as well as infectious diseases such as flu and respiratory syntactical virus (RSV). GM CRDC will support the rapid set-up of commercial studies so patients can begin accessing treatments undergoing trials as early as possible.
**
Mark Cubbon, MFT Chief Executive** , said: “Greater Manchester plays a key role as a regional centre for clinical research and innovation (R&I) excellence. At MFT we have supported the development and expansion of R&I so that our patients and our local communities can benefit from innovative technologies and cutting-edge treatments which deliver better outcomes.
“We are incredibly proud to expand on our partnerships with NIHR to ensure that state-of-the-art commercial clinical trials can take place in all our communities across Greater Manchester, and work with partners across the North West and address some of the most pressing health challenges we face.”
In support of the 10 Year Health Plan, CDRCs will shift clinical trials beyond large hospital trusts into community settings, meaning those in under-served regions will be better able to participate in research. This will boost access to new treatments in the trial stage.
GM CRDC will operate a “Hub and spoke” model, working with partners including Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust; Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust; St Johns Medical Centre; Firsway Health Centre; and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
This will maximise patient convenience offering research participation at accessible locations via public transport, a mobile research van, or home visits. By embedding the NIHR GM CRDC inside the existing collaborative ‘One Manchester’ research infrastructure, it will leverage existing resources and know how.
**
Dr Claire Cole, Director of Research Delivery at MFT and the Director of NIHR GM CRDC, said:** “I am really excited by the opportunities GM CRDC will bring to our region. We serve a large and diverse community, and by increasing access for everybody to help shape, design, and participate in cutting-edge commercial research studies, we can tackle the health inequalities that exist across GM, and beyond. Alongside this, it will bring more investment and create new job opportunities for local people, growing Greater Manchester’s status as a clinical research powerhouse.”
To achieve its vision, GM CDRC will engage with key strategic industry partners, harnessing existing relationships and building on GMs success in increasing commercial research recruitment, as highlighted in the O’Shaughnessy review.
It will also focus on building trust and awareness of clinical research with our communities, particularly those with lower take-up rates in research studies. Utilising and building upon existing public and patient involvement, engagement, and participation (PPIE) expertise and networks will draw upon the voices of local people to ensure the work of GM CDRC is inclusive and meets their diverse needs.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: “Clinical trials help improve lives. Boosting the NHS’s capacity to deliver commercial clinical research through these new Commercial Research Delivery Centres will support recruitment across all communities and bring innovative treatments to patients.
“The effects of these centres will be felt right across the four nations, bringing investment into the UK’s life sciences sector.”