CLINICAL RESEARCH
National Institute for Health Research - year in numbers 2018-2019.
cancer studies added to the CRN portfolio (408), and a record number of ongoing studies open for recruitment (1167). Professor Matt Seymour, NIHR Clinical
Research Network, specialty cluster lead, responsible for Oncology, explained: “Cancer is not just one disease but hundreds, and this impressive figure represents research in prevention, earlier diagnosis, better surgery and radiotherapy, a vast array of novel cancer drug and cellular therapies, better management of symptoms and survivorship, right through to care at the end of life. “In all of these areas, scientific advances are generating great new ideas and fast. Efficient clinical research is absolutely key to bringing the benefits to patients.”
Mental health research recruitment
There was a significant increase in mental health research recruitment in 2018/19, alongside a record number of studies open for recruitment across England (375). 65,645 participants were recruited to NIHR CRN supported mental health studies across the financial year, a 54% increase since 2017/18.
Dr Jonathan Sheffield said: “The large increase in the number of participants involved in mental health research is fantastic news. What we know from all the research taking place is that physical health and mental health go hand in hand. So again, a fantastic achievement and I’d like to thank all of the psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses - and the public - for getting involved.
“What is really pleasing is that mental health is out there in the open - with a commitment from the government and the NHS to be really open about what we need to do to improve people’s mental health and wellbeing. We can best achieve that by undertaking research which provides the evidence base for the types of mental health care which are most appropriate.”
Dementia and neurodegeneration
Dementia and neurodegeneration research (DeNDRoN) also saw significant gains in the number of people taking part. Despite being outside of the highest recruiting specialties, as one of the major health challenges of our time - achieving the highest ever levels of
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.
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recruitment within this area (45,918 participants - a 26% increase since 2017/18) is a major contribution to the Government’s Challenge on Dementia 2020. A record number of new DeNDRoN studies were also added to the CRN Portfolio (93) throughout the year. Professor John O’Brien NIHR CRN, national specialty lead for dementia, said: “Dementia studies are not easy to deliver, as they often rely on expertly assessed clinical and cognitive outcomes rather than lab or physiological measures which are much easier to collect. “This is an area in which the NIHR CRN has had great impact - by allowing the development of a stable and experienced workforce of trained raters over many years within the specialty, who have the experience and expertise to successfully deliver such studies. “The Join Dementia Research service has also greatly facilitated recruitment to studies and this, combined with the excellence of the NIHR’s Dementias and Neurodegeneration teams across all 15 Local Clinical Research Networks, has been responsible for such impressive recruitment. “There is still much we don’t know about dementia and its main causes. Currently we only have licensed symptomatic treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, with only modest benefit. Research into aetiology, diagnosis and management of all the different diseases that cause dementia is therefore needed more than ever before to improve diagnosis, patient stratification and management, and to develop new
AUGUST 2019
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