THE number of medical research studies hosted by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has almost doubled in five years, new figures show.
The number of studies – which covers a range of topics such as cancer, diabetes and vision loss – increased from 818 in 2009/10 to 1,514 in 2014/15, a rise of 85 per cent.
Many studies are carried out in partnership with organisations such as the University of Oxford at Trust hospitals with the involvement of staff and patients.
These include studies funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Trust that is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
It comes after figures showed that Trust studies supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Network, the research delivery arm of the NHS, also rose eight per cent in a year.
In 2013/14 there were also 380 NIHR Clinical Research Network-supported studies in active recruitment, and this increased to 411 in 2014/15.
Trust Director of Research and Development and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Director Prof Keith Channon said: “I am delighted with our continued increase in clinical research.
“At OUH, working with our partners through the NIHR Oxford BRC, we have improved both the scale and effectiveness of clinical research studies.
“More of our patients are now benefitting from participation in research, and we are minimising the time taken to deliver the results of research, for clinical benefit.”