South West “exceptional” at providing research opportunities to its patients

The South West has been recognised for its “exceptional performance” in bringing new treatments and medicines to its patients through clinical research – for the second year running.

The South West Peninsula is a ‘Prime Site’ for global pharmaceutical consultancy, IQVIA, and has just been announced as the best recruiting prime site in the world for 2017/18, being acknowledged with a certificate of achievement.

With the majority of clinical trials conducted across international borders, the prime site collaboration, formed in 2011, allows experts in the South West to foster relationships with companies and academics outside the region through their clinical research efforts.

It brings more trials across a wide range of disease areas to the South West, with ongoing benefits to the regional economy and to health research around the world.

Clinicians within the Peninsula Prime Site are also able to give patients and the general public more opportunities to volunteer for clinical trials in the region. More than 700 patients were recruited into studies within the South West last year as a result of the Prime Site initiative.

Supported by the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network in the South West,  the Peninsula Prime Site includes clinical research facilities and academics at the University of Exeter Medical School; Devon Partnership NHS Trust; the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust; University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust; South Devon NHS Healthcare Trust; and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.

Professor Clive Ballard, Executive Dean of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been singled out for the second time as the best prime site in Europe for recruiting to commercial clinical trials. This partnership means the South West is on the cutting edge of health innovation, and that the latest emerging treatments are available to people in the region.”

The aim is to make the South West a force to be reckoned with in global drug development, leveraging the partnership between academia and NHS Trusts to encourage active participation in clinical research by both doctors and patients in the region.

Helen Quinn, Chief Operating Officer and Lead for Nursing, NIHR Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula, said: “We are delighted to have received this award which is testament to our hard work and determination to improve patient care through research. Evidence shows that patients cared for in a research-active setting have better outcomes and the Clinical Research Network, along with all of our partnering organisations, is committed to ensuring patients in the South West have access to the very latest treatments and medicines.

“Improving the clinical research infrastructure in the South West by forming collaborations such as this undoubtedly helps ensure that we remain firmly on the clinical research map, not only nationally, but internationally.”