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Three year plan for implementing the vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery published

Three year plan for implementing the vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery published

30th June 2022

The next three year plan for implementing the vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery has been published today. NHS Research Scotland, alongside the Chief Scientist Office of Scottish Government, has been working with our partners across the system to develop this plan and improve how clinical research is delivered in the UK.

This next phase of work follows the 2021-2022 implementation plan that was published in June 2021 as part of the UK Clinical Research Recovery, Resilience and Growth (RRG) Programme. Throughout the last year, vital progress towards achieving the vision and tackling health inequalities, bolstering economic recovery and improving the lives of people across the UK, including:

  • Halving the approval times for studies through a combined review process for new Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs). Run by the MHRA and UK Research Ethics Service through the HRA, this process streamlines the route through the regulatory journey for researchers
  • Launching a new UK-wide professional accreditation scheme for Clinical Research Practitioners with the aim to help double the size of this important workforce and enable more research to take place
  • Announcement of the data for research and development programme, with £200 million investment in health data infrastructure in England and alignment and strengthening data infrastructure in the devolved administrations
  • Demonstration of the UK’s growing ability to harness technology and conduct studies virtually and in the community, such as the PANORAMIC trial of antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and the RELIEVE IBS-D virtual trial
  • A shared commitment to public involvement in research to ensure involvement is built into study design, delivery, and dissemination

Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government said: “The UK clinical research strategy, published last year, set out an ambitious vision to realise the true potential of clinical research. Over the last year, we have worked with our partners across the research community, across nations and across sectors progressing our shared goal of a more innovative and resilient research system with clinical research embedded in the NHS.

“This is vital to NHS recovery, and the phase 2 plan published today sets out key areas of focus for the next three years. Scotland is proud to be part of this work – by building on our combined research strengths across the UK we can make the vision a reality, help shape the future of healthcare and improve people’s lives for years to come.”

The 2022-2025 implementation plan is aligned with funding confirmed through the Government spending review for April 2022 to March 2025. The plan includes the key activities for the next three years, including:

  • recovering the UK’s capacity to deliver research following the pandemic, building back a more responsive and resilient research system
  • continuing to support the UK’s expert research workforce, and developing and contributing to workforce plans in order to enable strategic investment in capacity development
  • broadening responsibility and accountability for research across the NHS, and improving the visibility and recognition of those delivering clinical research studies, increasingly ensuring that research is a normal part of high quality care                  
  • revolutionise how research is designed and delivered in the UK so that it is inclusive, accessible, involves those with greatest need and addresses the challenges facing the NHS
  • Making the UK’s clinical research offer clear and accessible and improving our attractiveness as a leading destination for cutting edge and global multi-centre clinical studies
  • streamlining and strengthening the regulatory environment to ensure faster approval, set-up and delivery of studies and using the unique opportunity outside the EU to create a more flexible and improved regulatory model for clinical research
  • ensuring the whole of the UK population can benefit from taking part in research by investing in the infrastructure and tools needed to implement people centred, innovative, data and digitally-enable trials

 

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