Local GP practices win funding
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded around £1 million each to two Cambridgeshire and Peterborough GP-led practices to become new Primary Care Commercial Research Delivery Centres (PC-CRDCs).
Mereside Medical, a group of three General Practices and headquartered at Staploe Medical Centre in Soham, Cambridgeshire, and Wansford and King’s Cliffe Practice near Peterborough are among a total of just 14 new primary care centres for commercial research nationally. Already highly research-active practices offering access to groundbreaking research to patients in their existing networks, the new funding will enable them to expand their expertise to new practices and patients and help more people live healthier, longer lives.
The PC-CRDCs will support the shift of research and care from hospitals into community settings and make it easier for local people to access new treatments and other innovations, particularly those in underserved groups and communities experiencing the greatest burden of ill health. They will also help grow industry research partnerships, in line with UK ambitions to be a global leader in commercial clinical research.
Associate Director for Research & Impact Dr Philippa Brice, who leads the ICB hosted Research Office for Primary and Community Care said:
“We could not be more pleased to see the expertise and vision of these two centres of national excellence in primary care commercial research recognised, and look forward to supporting both new PC-CRDCs and their partners in helping local people access new research opportunities.”
Dr Louisa Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Mereside Medical, commented:
"After 25 years of running research trials, we're thrilled that NIHR has recognised our work with this award. This is fantastic news for our patients across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The funding means we can bring cutting-edge research directly to people's local GP surgery or pharmacy, and share what we've learned with other practices across the region. Patients shouldn't have to travel to a hospital to access new treatments – especially when GPs and pharmacists already manage most long-term conditions at home. We're proud that NIHR has chosen us to lead this work and excited about the difference it will make to our community."
Director of Wansford Health Dr Rhiannon McNally said:
“We are delighted to have been selected as a CRDC to build on the 30-year track record of research at Wansford and to scale up to deliver research opportunities to the diverse population of Peterborough, a population thus far poorly represented in research.”