The number of individuals in England benefiting from clinical research has hit an all-time high this year. More than 870,000 participants were part of health and social care research across England supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in the last 12 months. This is a key step forward in NHS Long Term Plan’s goal of having one million participants in clinical research by 2023-2024.
Paediatric research studies witnessed the highest number participants (81,892), followed by studies conducted in research areas of primary care (78,533), reproductive health and childbirth (74,128), cancer (67,652), and mental health (65,645). A total of 2194 new studies were included in NIHR’s portfolio in the past year, and the number of ongoing studies across England has now reached 6106. Ninety per cent of participants have reported a positive experience of participating in research.
Dr Jonathan Sheffield, Chief Executive of the NIHR Clinical Research Network, said: "The benefits that clinical research bring to society are profound. People who take part in studies can gain access to cutting edge, innovative new treatments."