1. Patient priority
A recent Ipsos MORI poll commissioned by the AMRC, Breast Cancer Campaign and British Heart Foundation showed that 97% of the public think the NHS should support research into new treatments. Patients value research because they know that by participating in high quality research they benefit from access to new treatments, interventions and medicines.
The chance to take part in clinical trials matters to patients and more to the point, it's written into the NHS Constitution as their right. Many NHS professionals don't have a clear picture of their Trust's involvement in clinical research and their performance on delivery but now you can find out how many patients have accessed clinical trials in your Trust.
We can help you increase your research offer to patients by providing hands-on support and resources to enable NHS organisations to engage in high-quality clinical trials.
Contact your lead Comprehensive Local Research Network.
2. Patient benefit
As a senior NHS leader or health care professional your priority is your patients. Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients who receive care in research-active institutions have better health outcomes than patients who are treated in a non-research environment, so by joining the research community you are actively helping to drive up the standard of healthcare for your patients.
Clinical research means patients get access to new treatments, interventions and medicines. Investment in research means better, more cost effective patient care.
Contact your lead Comprehensive Local Research Network.
3. Income generation through innovation
The NHS is recognised as a world leader at invention but the spread of those inventions within the NHS has often been too slow. With an ageing and growing population, rising public expectations and development of new pharmaceutical treatments and health technology – it is clear that innovation has a vital role to play if the NHS is to become more productive, efficient and improve health outcomes for patients in a modern NHS. Innovations and new ideas are not just about the future of the NHS, they are about the future of our country’s economy – the NHS remains a major investor and wealth creator in the UK.
Read the Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth (December 2011)
4. Meeting the government policy agenda
Encouraging growth in the healthcare and life-sciences sectors is a government priority and clinical research is a critical factor in achieving this goal. It drives innovation, generates income and gives rise to more effective and cheaper treatments. It's a win-win for patients, the NHS and politicians alike.
Clinical research drives innovation and innovation is recognised as essential to the future of the NHS for three important reasons:
- Innovation improves and extends lives. Innovation in the NHS is about making a real and tangible difference to the lives of millions. Across the NHS, countless patients bear witness to the power of great ideas
- Innovation connects and drives quality and productivity in the NHS. The NHS faces a challenging future with increasing financial pressures and continually increasing demand for improved quality of services. It is clear that the NHS must raise its game to develop more high-quality and cost-effective interventions if it is to keep improving
- Innovation will support the UK economy. The NHS remains a major investor and wealth creator in the UK, and in science and engineering in particular. Innovation is not just about the future of the NHS and health and social care, it is about the future of our country’s economy too.
The government's Plan for Growth identifies innovation as a key driver of long-term growth in the healthcare sector and key to the NHS improvement agenda. Clinical research is a major driver of innovation and central to NHS practice for maintaining and developing high standards of patient care.
5. Developing potential of the healthcare workforce
For many health professionals, clinical research offers a career path that is both intellectually challenging, and highly rewarding. Developing or delivering a well-designed clinical study can not only generate vital new knowledge, it can also have surprisingly widespread benefits for patients, both now and in the future.
Other support comes from us, here at the Clinical Research Network. We make sure that the NHS has the capacity to deliver research, by funding research support posts within NHS Trusts.
Visit our jobs section for details on current opportunities. We also offer top-rated hands-on training courses in Good Clinical Practice, providing medical research staff with essential practical knowledge, all contextualised for your local area.
