The NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) has successfully supported a bid to establish one of the UK’s new National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) to expand access to innovative clinical trials and deliver life-changing treatments to some of the UK’s most underserved communities.
This transformative £7m investment will establish the Central and North West Midlands (C&NWM) Commercial Research Delivery, hosted by Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, working closely with regional partners Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust – host of Staffordshire and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Health Research Partnership (SSHERPA) – and the Black Country Provider Collaborative.
The new CRDC will make it easier for people across the region to take part in research trials for cutting-edge healthcare treatments, partnering with drug companies to deliver treatment trials in a safe and responsible way.The new centre will also work closely with local businesses, patient groups and charities to help it reach a broad range of communities, including those that haven’t taken part in research before.
Innovative approaches such as community-based trial locations, mobile research units, and digital technologies will ensure the CRDC reaches individuals who have never previously participated in research.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “Clinical trials help improve lives. Boosting the NHS's capacity to deliver commercial clinical research through these new Commercial Research Delivery Centres will support recruitment across all communities and bring innovative treatments to patients.
“The effects of these centres will be felt right across the four nations, bringing investment into the UK's life sciences sector.”
Public involvement will be central to every stage of the Centre’s work, ensuring that its methods are inclusive, supportive, and effective in addressing local healthcare challenges.
Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB, said: “The main objectives of the Commercial Research Delivery Centres are to increase the number of trials in the region, boost participation from diverse communities, and speeding up the clinical trial process.
“We serve a large and diverse community and by increasing access for everybody to help shape, design, and participate in cutting-edge commercial research studies, we can tackle the health inequalities that exist across the Black Country and beyond.”
