Funding for specialist research nurses and new facilities to support clinical research and trials.

The funding will be given to 23 NHS organisations and will pay for specialist research nurses and technical staff, as well as providing cutting-edge facilities to support clinical research and trials.

The money, awarded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) following a competitive application and assessment process, will be provided over the next 5 years.

Previous funding for clinical research facilities has led to medical breakthroughs, including:

• identifying an effective treatment for peanut allergies in children
• trialling of the ‘bionic eye’ in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) – the first ever study to combine artificial and natural vision in humans
• establishing an innovative and standardised approach to test treatment for cystic fibrosis
• developing the first new therapeutic asthma treatment for a decade, reducing the severity and duration of life-threatening asthma attacks

NIHR is funded through the Department of Health and works to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.

Minister for Public Health and Innovation, Nicola Blackwood, said:

“UK researchers lead the world and our investment in this area so far has led to a variety of breakthroughs, including the first new asthma treatment in a decade, and a promising treatment for peanut allergies in children, to name just two.

We know that such ground breaking research simply would not happen without the support of these clinical research facilities.

I’m delighted to announce this £112 million of extra funding to support the skilled personnel and cutting-edge facilities we need to keep the UK at the forefront of clinical research.”