NIHR University Hospitals Birmingham CRF

Who we are: Since 2001, our Clinical Research Facility has driven early translational and experimental medicine research in Birmingham.

Originally funded via Wellcome Trust with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust and University of Birmingham, recurrent NIHR funding has enabled an integrated “ageless” approach with Birmingham Women s and Children s NHS Trust delivering experimental medicine research to accelerate access to breakthrough healthcare opportunities for NHS patients.

What we have done together: delivered new treatments to over 150,000 patients, from babies to old age.

Increased the numbers of people participating in research studies every year for the last 5-years, including 12,457 people participating in 2020/2021. Delivered 33 COVID-19 studies, including every affected child into COVID-19 research across our hospitals.

Simultaneously, we delivered ~500 studies of new treatments for non-COVID-19 conditions, including 25 first-in-human studies. Our CRF staff have supported recruitment of >1million people across our region into vaccine studies. Why we are doing this: Our CRF serves a local and regional population of 5.7 million.

This includes a highly-diverse cultural/ethnic cross-section in some of the most deprived areas of the UK.

These communities have high levels of illness, increased risk of multiple long-term conditions and one of the highest infant mortality rates in the UK. What we will do: Our main aim is to serve the health needs of our entire community, including underserved populations.

We will share studies across our sites, providing seamless transitional care from pregnancy, through to babies, children, adults, and old age.

The refreshed funding will enable us to deliver an expanded, exciting and inclusive program of research, workforce development and patient and public involvement.

This will lift the health, research aspirations and economy of all our communities and accelerate the adoption of new treatments, and medical tests and devices.

How we will do it: Work with members of the public, patients, community leaders and underserved communities to develop an action plan supporting engagement, involvement and participation in research.

Innovate delivery of studies to increase diversity of our participant recruitment, such as our community outreach and e-consent procedures, Increase the diversity in our workforce, reflecting the population we serve; Continue our COVID19 treatment studies, to support the national effort; Increase the number and efficiency of delivery of high-intensity experimental medicine studies, advanced treatment trials, such as gene/cell therapies, and first-in-human studies developed by our researchers and industrial partners.

Increase our studies in priority areas including studies in pregnant women, newborn babies, and those with mental health problems, and/or multiple long-term conditions. How are patients and the public involved: Patient and public members are active stakeholders in all we do.

We will develop and deliver our programs of work across all stages, working in collaboration with national patient charities, our patient support groups, such as the Young Person s Advisory Group, Breaking Down Barriers (who promote diversity and Inclusion), The South Asian Health Foundation, and our extensive network of PPIE groups as full partners.