UCLH Top London Trust for Recruitment to Research

University College London Hospitals (UCLH) is now the top London Trust for recruiting patients to research, according to latest research activity figures.

The figures, released by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Clinical Research Network, show UCLH recruited 11,755 patients in 2011/12. Imperial recruited 9,857 and Guys and St Thomas’ recruited 8,933.

The 2012 table, compiled using data from the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio 2011/12, show UCLH has upped the number of patients it recruits by 56% compared with 2010/11 figures. 

This makes UCLH the 5th highest Trust in the country for patient recruitment to research. In 2011/12 UCLH, had 259 recruiting studies compared to 220 in 2010/11.

UCLH Director of Research and Development, Professor Monty Mythen, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled by these latest figures. Not only are we one of the top recruiting Trusts in the country but we also have one of the most complex portfolios of research in terms of the innovative nature of our work.

“The figures are testament to our patients for agreeing to take part in our important research and to our clinical staff for their hard work and dedication.”

NIHR Clinical Research Network chief executive Dr Jonathan Sheffield said: “We know from recent polls that patients want to see the NHS do research, and they want the chance to get involved. The league table helps us recognise the research commitment of NHS staff throughout England.”

Chief medical officer and scientific adviser at the Department of Health, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: “This data from the NIHR Clinical Research Network is encouraging and shows us that high quality research is happening but we need to keep pushing for research to have the profile it deserves with both doctors and their patients.”

 [By UCLH Communications]