Royal Devon NHS has secured significant funding for a research hub.
- The £1.4m facility will be hosted at North Devon District Hospital.
- Key research areas include heart studies, back pain, and osteoarthritis.
- The hub aims to address health inequalities in the region.
- The project promises to bolster regional healthcare and attract top clinicians.
The Royal Devon NHS Foundation Trust has successfully obtained £1.4 million to fund the creation of a new clinical research hub at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple. This development marks a significant milestone as it will be the first dedicated facility for clinical research in the North Devon region.
The state-of-the-art hub will facilitate ‘ground-breaking research’, encompassing specialised heart studies and trials on conditions such as lower back pain, joint issues, and osteoarthritis. Professor Helen Quinn, Director of Research and Development at Royal Devon, highlighted the importance of the hub, noting that it will empower healthcare providers to tackle health inequalities, especially those prevalent in North Devon.
Professor Quinn remarked, ‘This is fantastic news for the North Devon population. We know patients who are treated in research-active hospitals have better health outcomes, whether they are taking part in a study or not.’ This sentiment underscores the anticipated positive impact on patient care and outcomes.
The initiative is one of thirty projects to receive backing from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Sam Higginson, Chief Executive of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, expressed his delight at the funding, describing the hub as essential and transformational for the region’s healthcare landscape.
Higginson emphasised the hub’s potential to attract distinguished clinicians interested in research throughout various stages of their careers. The trust plans to engage collaboratively with patients and key stakeholders to initiate the planning phase for the facility’s construction.
The new research hub represents a pivotal advancement in addressing regional health challenges and enhancing healthcare quality in North Devon.
