Portsmouth Hospitals offers more patients than ever the chance to participate in research, report shows
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has increased its research activity significantly in the last year offering more patients access to better care, services and treatments, according to a league table published today by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN).
The 2015/16 NIHR Research Activity League Table shows the research team at Queen Alexandra Hospital recruited 3,751 patients into clinical trials last year – an increase of over 16% on the previous year.
The Trust also saw a 12% increase in the number of clinical trials it is able to offer to patients – from 158 in 2014/15 to 177 in 2015/16.
Promoting, conducting and using clinical research to improve treatments, care and services for patients is part of the NHS England Constitution. The NIHR Research Activity League Table provides a picture of how much clinical research is happening, where, in what types of Trusts, and involving how many patients.
Professor Anoop Chauhan, Director of Research and Innovation at PHT, said: “This really is a great achievement, not only for our research team, but for the whole Trust.
“It is our aim to be able to offer every patient who enters our hospital the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial.
“We are continually working hard to increase our research portfolio to be able to offer our patients the very best treatments, medicines and services available, because we know that patients cared for in a research-active environment have better outcomes. “ Over 60% of NHS Trusts across the country increased the number of clinical research studies undertaken in their Trust last year, contributing to the drive for better treatments and services for all NHS patients.
Commercial research (usually working with pharmaceutical companies to trial new cutting-edge treatments) activity is an added feature for the 2015/16 league table.
Collaboration with industry is vital to enable the NHS to deliver first class clinical research, speeding up the development and availability of new treatments, therapies and diagnostics. The data shows that a record number of commercial contract research studies have been delivered by NHS Trusts in England over the last five years.
Primary care research is also highlighted as part of the report, listing the extent of research activity happening in communities across the country. Last year over 42% of English GP practices recruited people to NIHR research studies.
Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR CRN, Dr Jonathan Sheffield, said: “This years NIHR league table shows every NHS trust in England is now research active, and that over 60% [53% for CCG’s] increased their research activity last year. Evidence clearly shows research active trusts have better patient outcomes, with 605,000 people across England participating in research in the NHS in last year the outlook is very encouraging.
“The league table results are a great achievement for all involved, and highlight the growing commitment to research from the NHS and patients.”