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Briefing: supporting clinical research

Clinical research, in universities, institutes and the NHS, is vital for translating science into new treatments and diagnostics and improving quality of life for patients. Clinical trials are the central pillar of clinical research. Through involvement in trials patients can have access to the latest and most innovative treatments. Cancer Research UK currently supports 80 major clinical trials around the UK.

Cancer Research UK believes that appropriate funding should be channelled into NHS Research and Development to ensure that the best available evidence is available for use in making decisions about cancer care. We therefore welcome the announcement by the Chancellor in his 2004 Budget of a special focus for clinical research.

The Government has made a commitment to work with the NHS, industry and the medical charities to strengthen clinical research in the UK. They have also agreed to consider what more could be done to ensure that clinical research plays its full role in generating health and economic benefits in the UK.

To support this work, the Department of Health is increasing NHS funding for R&D by £100 million by 2008, to complement business and charity-funded clinical research efforts. This should allow the combined budget for medical research and for R&D within the NHS to rise to around £1.2 billion a year by 2007-08.

Building on Success

Given the success of the National Cancer Research Institute, the Government now wishes to extend this model of joint-working to cover a much wider range of medicine, and has decided to create a new UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC). The purpose of the UKCRC will be to achieve effective and efficient translation of scientific advances into patient care, thereby improving national health and contributing to national wealth.

The Cancer Networks model will now be extended to other disease areas covered by the UKCRC, with funding and research efforts targeted on diseases that place a high burden on the nation.

However, there is also a need to promote clinical research at the local level. Increasing emphasis on local commissioning of cancer services and research places greater autonomy with Primary Care Trusts (PCTs): some 77 per cent of Department of Health research funding is currently allocated to hospital and primary care trusts. In view of their increased responsibility and spending power, an obligation to support research must be built into the remit of PCTs. This will ensure that funding for research will be included in annual budgets.