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More patients to get access to cutting-edge medical therapies under new health research strategy

  • Published date:
    25 January 2006

Health Minister, Jane Kennedy today announced a new health research strategy aimed at giving patients better access to ground-breaking new medicines and treatments, and supporting researchers carrying out health and social care research throughout England.

Jane Kennedy, Minister for Quality and Patient Safety says:

'The requirement to conduct research for the improvement of health and medical treatments was one of the founding principles of the National Health Service. The NHS has a key role to play in determining the future health and wealth of this country, and the Government is determined to harness its capacity to make the UK the best place in the world for health research.

The changes we are putting in place are essential to create a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals, working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.'

The strategy, Best Research for Best Health, is designed to make it easier and quicker to get research started and improve its quality and relevance to patients.

Best Research for Best Health, will ensure the NHS supports the Government's commitment to make the UK a world-class environment for health research, development and innovation. It sets out how the Department of Health will spend over £650m a year on research and development with NHS funding directed at relevant high-quality, patient-based research.

As part of the new strategy:

  • Every patient in England will have access to clinical trials and have the opportunity to participate in studies involving cutting-edge medical therapies. The health research infrastructure of the NHS is being improved by setting up the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), National School for Primary Care Research and NHS research networks across England to co-ordinate the research structure of the NHS with people and programmes.
  • Bureaucracy busting measures will be introduced to tackle the increasing red-tape that is stifling research. Research passports will be introduced to avoid repetition of credential checks by different health authorities. A national expert advice line will provide 24/7 advice to researchers on interpreting the law. And we will work closely with the National Programme for IT/Connecting for Health to make sure that data collected from the NHS meets the needs of researchers and enables patients to access opportunities to participate in clinical trials.
  • Research programmes will be expanded. The NHS research networks will be funded on a population basis. In addition, we are establishing world-leading Research Centres to drive progress on innovation and translational research in the areas of biomedicine and NHS service quality and safety. A series of other new funding programmes will also be established to fund high quality research of relevance to the NHS.
  • Researchers of all disciplines and levels will be supported through the NIHR Faculty. Due to go live in 2007, the Faculty will provide mentoring and training to ensure researcher career development. The NIHR will also act as a single point of access for industry.

This strategy means a radical shake-up of the way research is funded. The new system is fair and transparent, and will ensure that money for research accurately reflects the research activity levels of NHS Trusts. Changes to funding will be managed carefully over a three year transition period.

Professor Sally Davies, Director of Research and Development at the Department of Health says:

'Best Research for Best Health has been developed with input and support from all our stakeholders in the NHS, university and industry. Having listened to views from a wide range of individuals and organisations, we have made amendments to our original proposals and strengthened the final strategy.'

Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust says: 

'Harnessing the strength of the NHS for research that will enhance the health of the population is extremely important. Implementation of this strategy will keep the UK at the forefront of clinical research and training throughout the world.'

Sir Robert Boyd, Research and Development Director at Great Manchester NHS, says:

'The new strategy will enable the NHS and its academic and other partners to make a much bigger contribution both to the health and wellbeing of present and future citizens, and to the economic success of the country in an ever more challenging global market place. It is enormously welcome and has the potential, when fully implemented, to bring immense benefit to us all.'

Derek Stewart, cancer advocate and former patient says:

"The developments in Health and Social Care Research that the Department of Health have been putting in place over the last few years have transformed the research environment for the benefit of patients. Involving patients in cancer research, for example, has helped to improve the quality of cancer care, made research much more meaningful, and has resulted in real benefits for patients and their families. The proposals in the new strategy for putting patients and their needs at the heart of research will strengthen and expand the direction of travel within the NHS and in health research in England."

Dr Richard Tiner, Medical Director of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) says:

"The ABPI welcomes the initiative and the opportunity it provides to continue working with the NHS in developing new, innovative medicines for the benefit of patients. In particular, we look forward to getting research on medicines started more quickly, thus enabling the UK to remain a major centre for clinical research activities.'

Notes to editor

  1. This strategy will move away from the current Support for Science mode of funding, where research funding is allocated based on historic base-line figures rather than on current levels of research activity.
  2. R&D in the health sector currently contributes in excess of £3 billion to the UK economy.
  3. The Strategy is underpinned by the Department of Health's determination to ensure that the NHS contribution to health research is a centrepiece of the Government's ambition to raise the level of research and development to 2.5% of GDP by 2014.
  4. Derek Stewart was the founder Chair of the Consumer Liaison Group for the National Cancer Research Institute and a Programme Board member of the NHS R&D Service Delivery Organisation.  His involvement in patient advocacy led to his appointment as Chair of Gedling Primary care Trust in Nottinghamshire.
  5. A copy of the strategy, implementation plans and time lines are available at the link above.
  6. For media queries, please contact Claire Rhodes at the Department of Health press office on 020 7210 5238.

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