Publish date: 17 December 2024
The Director of Research at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals has welcomed the news that the Trust will receive £3.5M in funding over the next seven years to expand the Trust’s work as a clinical commercial research site.
This will help the Trust develop appropriate staff and infrastructure to continue the delivery of new treatments, improving patient outcomes.
In April 2025 the Blackpool NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Patient Recruitment Centre at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals will transition into its next generation, as an NIHR Clinical Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC), one of 20 such centres nationally.
The centres will act as regional hubs for pioneering clinical trials, creating opportunities to test innovative new treatments with the latest equipment and technology.
Dr Gavin Galasko, who is NIHR NW Coast Joint Cardiovascular Specialty Lead and Director of Research at the Trust will be Director of the Blackpool CRDC.
Dr Galasko said “With this funding we will be able to continue to offer the latest clinical trials for our patients, offering new treatments ahead of their widespread use, helping to reduce some of the many health inequalities that occur within our region.
“We will continue to undertake cancer and heart disease trials but aim to also expand in other areas including lung disease, gastrointestinal and mental health conditions amongst others.”
Dr Galasko explained that the funding would allow the Trust to expand the research activity taking place to the benefit of the local population and beyond.
He said: “We plan to work with local GPs to undertake research in areas of local need. We plan to grow the research team and further embed research as normal practice in the hospital, aiming to improve patient outcomes and potentially Trust CQC ratings.
“Other drivers in the coming years will be to grow our links with industry and to increase our reach into our local communities through our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) strategy to better serve the needs of our local population demographic.
“This funding should lead to an expansion in the number of clinical trials offered to our patients with more specialties involved. It is likely to lead to new Trust research and pharmacy facilities.”
For more information please see UK secures £400 million investment to boost clinical trials - GOV.UK
