Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been named as a UK top 10 NHS research active Trust.
Between 2016 and 2017 11,490 patients took part in clinical research trials at Sheffield's five adult hospitals, a 34% increase from the previous year.
Commercially, the Trust had the second-highest number of studies recruited to in the Yorkshire and Humber region, with 69, a 23% rise. A total of 335 participants were involved in these studies, an increase of 31% on last year's 256. The Trust also ran 10% more academically led studies across a wide range of disease areas.
Clinical research is vital in helping doctors and nurses better understand how diseases work, providing evidence as to how new drugs and treatments work, and improving care for patients in Sheffield and beyond.
The figures, published by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), highlight the leading role the Trust plays in giving patients access to new and potentially life-changing treatments.
Professor Simon Heller, research and development director for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have a long and proud history of pioneering medical research and advances. These figures once again show the leading role our Trust plays in giving patients access to new and innovative treatments. Patients really value the opportunity to take part in clinical research, which helps give the evidence to ensure cutting-edge treatments become part of routine NHS care, so the increase in volume of studies by our research teams, both academic and commercial, is a great achievement.”
Justin Evans, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a year ago and is, taking part in his first research study at Sheffield’s National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Facility, said that taking part in research “was the least he could do.”
“We rely on advances in sciences to find a cure for Parkinson’s and other diseases and conditions,” said the 59-year-old from Nether Edge. “It’s fantastic to be a citizen of Sheffield and have access to one of the best research institutions.”
The league table of best NHS research performers is published every year by the NIHR.
Pictured: Research participant Justin Evans with Anna Emery, research sister at the NIHR Clinical Research Facility Sheffield.
