Bringing together Newcastle Hospitals and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trusts (NTW) with Newcastle University, the NAHP delivers outstanding healthcare through collaborative scientific research, education and patient services.

Clinical research is on the rise in the NHS, and Newcastle Hospitals and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trusts are spearheading the clinical research trend, according to new league figures released by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Top of the league tables

It is the second consecutive year that Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has taken pole position for quantity of research with 486 studies, an increase of seven studies on last year’s figure. As many as 12,493 patients at the Trust took part in clinical research.

Professor John Simpson, Clinical Director of Research and Development, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is very pleasing to see Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at the top of the national league table for research studies.

“This reflects the hard work, professionalism and dedication of doctors, nurses and other professionals, as well as our close interaction with Newcastle University. Most importantly, our success stems entirely from the generosity and engagement of patients in the North East, who selflessly participate in research that is designed to improve the health of future patients.”

Meanwhile, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) is the second most research active mental health trust in England.

Professor Paul Whitty, NTW Director of Research, said: “This result is an indication of the way research is increasingly seen as an important aspect of providing care in the NHS.

“We now need to ensure we maintain this progress by ensuring that research is even better embedded in the Trust and that our service users are increasingly demanding to be part of the latest research studies.”

Clinical research is vital as it’s the way that medics gather evidence about “what works” so that treatments for patients can be improved. In addition, there is research evidence to show that patients do better in hospitals and surgeries that do research – even if they don’t actually take part in a study themselves.

The league table is published by the NIHR Clinical Research Network - the research delivery arm of the NHS. It shows the number of studies undertaken by each NHS Trust from April 2014 to March 2015, and the number of patients who volunteered to take part.

Helping patients with Alzheimer’s

Many research participants have inspirational stories to tell about how clinical research can benefit patients, their families or carers.

Mary-Anne Pottage, of Corbridge, Northumberland, receives treatment at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality, a collaboration between Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals. She has been involved in research studies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease for 18 months.

The 64-year-old is currently enrolled in a study called Expedition 3, which is a trial of Solanezumab, which may prove to be the first disease modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s.

Mary-Anne said: “I was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s five years ago, and together with my husband, I contacted the Clinical Research Network to find a treatment research study.

“Although everyone should be free to decide whether they want to take part in research, I think it’s important because it could lead to a cure and I’ll do what I can to help towards that. However, as an individual I like to feel like I’m getting the best possible treatment.”

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