New collaboration to play key role in improving lives of patients with long-term conditions

PATIENTS with long-term conditions such as mental health disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and stroke are set to benefit from a major multi-million pound partnership between the region’s NHS organisations, leading universities, local government, industry, charities, patients and the public.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is to award the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber (CLAHRC YH) a £10 million grant to test new ways of delivering and re-designing health services and tackling health inequalities. The research programme – which is being boosted by a further £14 million pound investment from partner organisations – will begin its work in January 2014 for a five-year period.

It will be hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The investment will see the development of innovative health services through joint working between patients and partner organisations. As well as projects to improve services for people with diabetes, COPD or mental health disorders, and stroke survivors, there will be projects on the use of remote health technologies, which can help patients with long term conditions through improved monitoring and self-management, and projects to improve diagnosis and services for the frail and elderly.  

Professor Sue Mawson, Director of the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding for this major new initiative which will give us real opportunities to continue our activities and research in this important area. Yorkshire and Humber has some of the highest levels of social deprivation and health inequalities in the country, and the North-South divide is growing, so this is a significant investment which will enable us to address some of the huge health challenges we face across our region. We have already committed to working with 39 partner organisations in our region, including NHS organisations, leading universities, local government, charities and industry, and this will put us in a strong position to become a world leader in health services research, healthcare innovation, and transform the health of thousands of people living in the region and beyond.”

Bryan Miller, Chief Executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is a great achievement and I am delighted about the opportunity to work with the CLAHRC over the next five years. Bradford NHS has seen at close hand the value of the first CLAHRCs in improving the quality of child health services, stroke care and promoting innovation. The programme is also providing a unique platform for uniting researchers and clinicians to work on real health research priorities.”

Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re enormously proud to be hosting this new collaboration which will play a key role in improving the lives of people suffering with long-term conditions.”

Lord Howe, Health Minister said: “This is great news for patients – this funding could potentially help the development of ground breaking treatments which could revolutionise care.  With a growing elderly population, the need for innovative and effective solutions has never been more important. We want the UK to lead the world in terms of health research and this announcement underlines that commitment. It is vital that we invest in health research, not only to create the opportunities for health research to grow – but also to help our economy thrive so we can compete in the global race.”

Professor Dame Sally C. Davies, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Health, said: “I’m delighted we have today announced the successful schemes and I’m very much looking forward to hearing updates on how patients will benefit from this research. The teams are following a strong tradition of success as the National Institute for Health Research has a proven record track record of world-class health research in the NHS.

“Supporting our leading researchers is so important and these NIHR CLAHRCs will link the NHS, universities, and other relevant organisations providing care for patients in what will be groundbreaking work to improve the lives of thousands of patients across the country.”