This transformative £7m investment will establish the Central and North West Midlands (C&NWM) Commercial Research Delivery Centre, hosted by Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (BWC), working closely with regional partners Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust – host of Staffordshire and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Health Research Partnership (SSHERPA) – and the Black Country Provider Collaborative.
The new CRDC will make it easier for MPFT’s population to take part in research trials for cutting-edge healthcare treatments, partnering with drug companies to deliver treatment trials in a safe and responsible way. The new centre will also work closely with local businesses, patient groups and charities to help it reach a broad range of communities, including those that haven’t taken part in research before.
Professor Toby Helliwell, Professor of General Practice, Keele University and MPFT and Deputy Director of Community and Primary Care for the C&NWM, said: “The Central and North West Midlands CRDC will create exciting opportunities to allow access to a broader research portfolio and enable us to be innovative in our approach to deliver research across the system making research accessible to all.”
Innovative approaches such as community-based trial locations, mobile research units, and digital technologies will ensure the CRDC reaches individuals who have never previously participated in research. Public involvement will be central to every stage of the Centre’s work, ensuring that its methods are inclusive, supportive, and effective in addressing local healthcare challenges. As the hub for the North West Midlands, MPFT will be at the heart of supporting these initiatives.
Neil Carr, Chief Executive of MPFT said: “This is fantastic news for MPFT. As an integrated Trust, collaborative working is key to us providing the best care possible to our communities. The C&NWM CRDC will not only enable MPFT’s service users and staff access to even more cutting edge research, but will strengthen collaborative working further.”
Professor Christian Mallen, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at MPFT, Chair of SSHERPa, and Executive Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University said: “Being part of the CRDC is incredibly important to the North West Midlands. Not only will it bring research to new, diverse communities but will provide the opportunity for our SSHERPA community partners to increase our capacity and capability in research.”
Ruth Lambley-Burke, Director Of Research & Innovation and Executive host of SSHERPa added: “The success of the C&NWM CRDC bid will not only boost the quantity of research opportunities we can offer to those using MPFT’s services, but will also enhance the range of what we can offer by enabling access to research in wider health and care settings. In combination with our new mobile research facilities, the C&NWM CRDC will support us to achieve the Trust’s ambition of providing more accessible research opportunities to all of our communities.”