Patients to benefit from multi-million pound research funding

NHS patients in North West London will benefit from a multi-million pound research project leading to the rapid introduction of new, effective treatments for a wide range of medical conditions.

NHS hospitals, primary care trusts and community services in North West London, led by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with their academic partner Imperial College London, will have funding of £20 million available over the next five years.

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced today (Tuesday 27 May) National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funding of £10 million for the North West London Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) - this will be matched by £10 million of funding from the organisations involved in the Collaboration.

The North West London CLAHRC will be hosted at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and is one of 7 new research partnerships between NHS trusts and leading universities to receive NIHR funding.

The Collaboration will develop service innovations to improve the care of acutely ill patients and patients with chronic diseases across different NHS organisations.

New treatments and new ways of working will be tested and, if proven to be effective and suitable for use, the North West London CLAHRC will support NHS staff to incorporate these into their everyday work.

The North West London CLAHRC is a unique development for healthcare in London because:

• It will speed up the introduction of new treatments that research demonstrates will benefit patients
• It will reduce variations in care and standardise treatment wherever patients are treated
• It will involve patients and the public in all aspects of CLAHRC activity, and ensure that all new treatments focus on improving patient experience as well as safety and functionality

The first projects due to get underway in October 2008 include:

• A joint research project with NHS Direct to explore the potential benefits of telephone follow-up in relation to patient drugs for patients discharged from hospital
• A primary care-led project to develop case management of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma living in the community
• Further development of 'care bundles' to standardise treatment of patients with pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "I am delighted that the CLAHRC bid which was co-ordinated by Professor Derek Bell, Professor of Acute Medicine, on behalf of the NHS in North West London has gained government funding.

"Our ambitious programme of work aims to deliver research benefits to patients throughout North West London as rapidly as possible. We hope that it will deliver tangible improvements in the care that patients receive in our area of the capital."

Professor Derek Bell, Professor of Acute Medicine at Imperial College London and Consultant Physician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Our research programme's methodology and staff training will support the rapid introduction of new, effective treatments for patients in North West London."

Professor Steve Smith, Principal of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: "Research into chronic and acute illness at Imperial College London is of a very high quality and this recognition underlines that. However, it's not enough just to do research, we also have to make sure it benefits the people who need it.

"Through this new initiative with our colleagues at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and through our creation of the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre, we are ensuring that when we make a new medical breakthrough, or devise a better way to treat people, patients will quickly see improvements in their care."

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "This new government funding will help to improve health outcomes for patients across England, with particular emphasis on conditions that cause chronic distress to patients and are a significant issue for the NHS to manage."

Professor Sally C. Davies, Director General of Research and Development, Department of Health said: "The NIHR Collaborations for Health Research and Care represent an exciting and innovative partnership between universities and the NHS. They will undertake high quality applied health research and develop new ways of translating research findings into improved outcomes for patients. They will be conducting this work at the front line of the NHS so that the benefits and findings from research can be swiftly incorporated into routine clinical practice."

http://www.imperial.ac.uk