Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what further steps he is taking to (a) increase the participation of patients within clinical trials, (b) integrate clinical research within health and social care practice and (c) further embed clinical research within the NHS.

‘The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery’ published in March 2021 set out the ambition to create a patient-centred, pro-innovation and digitally enabled clinical research environment. ‘The Future of Clinical Research Delivery: 2022 to 2025 implementation plan’ published on 30 June 2022 summarises the progress made and the actions required in the next three years to achieve these ambitions by 2031.

The National Health Service and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are investing in data and digital platforms to increase the identification of people who meet the eligibility criteria for specific studies and to deliver virtual and decentralised studies to increase participation of patients within clinical trials. NHS England and the devolved administrations are developing plans to embed responsibility and accountability for research in healthcare delivery and introduce new measures to increase recognition for undertaking and supporting clinical research. This will include the implementation of the Health and Care Act 2022 with enhanced duties on research for NHS England and integrated care boards.

A single, simplified approval service for clinical trials in the United Kingdom will be developed, including the implementation of a fast-track ethics review in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) and the Health Research Authority’s combined process. NHS England is implementing the National Contract Value Review to expedite the costing elements of the contracting process in NHS trusts to prevent delays. Following public consultation on proposals for legislative changes for clinical research, the MHRA is preparing the Government’s response and secondary legislation. The NIHR is expanding its support through its Clinical Research Network to assist researchers with the design of studies.

These measures will be delivered through the Recovery, Resilience and Growth Programme involving representatives from NHS, the devolved administrations, academia, Royal Colleges, patients and the public, research institutes, health care professional bodies and research charities, funders and industry.