CLINICAL RESEARCH
The increasein clinical research participation
Clinical research in England is growing at a record pace - with the number of participants involved in clinical trials the highest since records began, and record numbers of studies open for recruitment over the last financial year.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network’s (CRN) annual statistics - published each financial year - provide the most comprehensive data regarding the state of clinical research in England. The latest figures show that more than 870,250 participants took part in clinical studies supported by the NIHR CRN in 2018/19, a 20% increase since 2017/18 (up from 725,333). The most participants were recruited to
children’s health studies (81,892), primary care research (78,533), reproductive health and childbirth (74,128), cancer research (67,652), and mental health research (65,645).
The highest recruiting specialty in 2018/19, children’s health research, saw an 84% increase in the number of participants since 2017/18. In line with overall recruitment trends, this significant increase in children’s research participation is reflected by a record number of new studies added to the portfolio over the year (251), alongside a record number of studies open for recruitment (747).
Dr Jonathan Sheffield OBE, chief executive officer of the NIHR CRN, said: “Making sure we provide the very best care for our children is one of the most important things we can do as doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals within the NHS - as that sets people up for life.
“I’m delighted that the expansion in
children’s health research has been so great this year and would like to thank the paediatricians, family doctors, family and
and even more impressive - for those studies supported by primary care. “These supported studies are led by other specialities, such as diabetes, where the patients are identified in their local general practice and often invited to attend the local hospital to take part in research. This number increased last year and is recognition that primary care is an ideal setting to recruit patients with chronic disease - whose numbers are on the increase.”
Reproductive health and childbirth
Another area of research achieving significant participation across England in 2018/19 is reproductive health and childbirth - with 74,128 participants recruited into studies in this area, which includes obstetrics and midwifery care.
Jonathan Sheffield
district nurses involved in delivering vital children’s research for this achievement.” The latest statistics show that primary care continues to be one of the highest recruiting research specialties. With the vast majority of NHS patient consultations taking place within primary care settings, recruitment within this area is a key indicator of the opportunities that patients across England have to take part in research. Professor Philip Evans, NIHR CRN national specialty lead for primary care said: “The recruitment figures from this year and the number of studies conducted are excellent, both for primary care-led studies -
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Mr Nigel Simpson, NIHR CRN national specialty lead for reproductive health and childbirth, said: “We know that patient care improves as a result of well-designed and well-run clinical studies - including for those participating in them. “Once again a record number of women
took part in ongoing NIHR-supported studies in maternity and reproductive health. Their participation, coupled with the hard work of research midwives, nurses, clinicians, and clinical trial unit staff ensured that several important studies completed to time and target this year, with results directly relevant to current practice ranging from the use of progesterone in early pregnancy, and the benefits of early detection of pre-eclampsia later in pregnancy.”
Cancer research
The CRN continued to recruit very high numbers of patients to cancer research in 2018/19 - some of the most complex, difficult but vital clinical studies across the NHS - with 67,652 participants taking part over the year. There has been a huge expansion in the science around cancer with genomics, proteomics, phenomics, and new immunotherapies studies coming through. This is reflected by a record number of new
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