A new £1.4m clinical facility that will carry out “ground-breaking research” is to be built at a hospital in Devon. The funding for the hub, which will be based at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, was secured by the Royal Devon Trust.
Research carried out at the facility will include specialised heart studies, as well as trials exploring issues such as lower back pain, joint problems and osteoarthritis.
The hub is the first dedicated facility for clinical research in North Devon and, according to one NHS trust boss, will help tackle “health inequalities” in the region.
Professor Helen Quinn, director of research and development at the Royal Devon, said: “This is fantastic news for the North Devon population. We know patients who are treated in research active hospitals have better health outcomes, whether they are taking part in a study or not.
“This new centre will ensure we can expand the number of research studies we can deliver in North Devon which will empower us to tackle health inequalities specific to our region, including multiple long-term conditions that disproportionately affect the local population.”
The Royal Devon was one of 30 trusts to secure funding after making an application to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Sam Higginson, chief executive of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We are delighted to receive the funding to be able to build this facility for people in North Devon. We have an ambitious research culture and see clinical research as essential and transformational in ensuring our communities have access to the best care. The facility will also help us attract great clinicians at every stage of their careers who want to be involved in research.”
The trust said on Monday (October 14) that it would now start working with patients and other key stakeholders to begin the planning process to build the facility.