Unprecedented boost for clinical trials under 10 Year Health Plan

Patients will receive the most cutting-edge treatments years earlier than planned under the government's 10 Year Health Plan, which will speed-up clinical trials so the UK becomes a hotbed of innovation.

Millions of people will now be able to search for and sign up to lifechanging clinical trials, via the NIHR Be Part of Research service on the NHS App, allowing patients to browse and find the trials best suited to their interests and needs.

Eventually the plan will see the NHS App automatically match patients with studies based on their own health data and interests, sending push notifications to your phone about relevant new trials to sign up to.

It comes as the NIHR launches a UK-wide recruitment drive for clinical trials – the biggest ever health research campaign – to get as many people involved in research as possible. Adults across the UK are being urged to register, with underrepresented groups including young people, Black people and people of South Asian heritage particularly encouraged to sign up, at bepartofresearch.uk

The 10 Year Health Plan will bring transparency to which Trusts are performing well in clinical trials – and which are not. All NHS Trusts and organisations will need to submit data on the number of trials being conducted and the amount of progress being made - as we rebuild the country's global status as the epicentre of research.

Public reporting will show the number of trials sponsored by both commercial and non-commercial sponsors at specific Trusts and other organisations, including universities or Primary Care sites. It will reveal to the government, patients, investors, and Trust boards which NHS organisations are performing well and which are falling behind. Government investment will only be prioritised for the Trusts that can prove they can support the NHS to deliver the treatments of tomorrow.  

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

The UK was has been at the forefront of scientific and medical discovery throughout our history. Some country will lead the charge in the emerging revolution in life sciences, and why shouldn't it be Britain?

The 10 year plan for health will marry the genius of our country's leading scientific minds, with the care and compassion of our health service, to put NHS patients at the front of the queue for new cutting-edge treatments.

The NHS App will become the digital front door to the NHS, and enable all of us as citizens to play our part in developing the medicines of the future. The British people showed they were willing to be part of finding the vaccine for Covid, so why not do it again to cure cancer and dementia?

By slashing through red tape and making it easier for patients to take part, reforms in our ten year plan will grow our life sciences sector, generate news funds for the NHS to reinvest in frontline care, and benefit patients through better medicines.

In recent years, the UK has fallen behind as a global destination for these trials, with patients and the wider economy missing out. It takes around 100 days to set up a trial in Spain, but around 250 days in the NHS. The plan will see commercial clinical trial set-up times fall to 150 days or less by March 2026 - this will be the most ambitious reduction in trial set-up times in British history.

Currently set up processes for clinical trials take too long as a result of unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication of activities across different agencies and sites.

Government will cut set up times for clinical trials. Currently, trials have to agree separate contracts with each part of the NHS they want to be involved. The plan will introduce a national standardised contract which can save months of wasted time, as well as simplifying paperwork to remove duplication on technical assurances.

This means if any authority asks for evidence from a study, they can provide it once without having to spend time reframing that evidence differently to meet a separate criteria for another authority.

In the coming weeks, the government will publish its 10 Year Health Plan. Through the plan, we will restore our position as a world leader in clinical trials, so we attract the world's greatest minds and drive vital investment into the UK. This will spur economic growth, improve the standard of care to support a healthier population, and make the NHS more financially sustainable.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:

We know the benefits of embedding clinical research across the NHS and beyond. It leads to better care for patients, more opportunities for our workforce and provides a huge economic benefit for our health and care system. Integrated into the NHS App, the NIHR Be Part of Research service enables members of the public to be matched to vital trials, ensuring the best and latest treatments and care get to the NHS quicker.

Ensuring all sites are consistently meeting the 150-day or less set-up time will bring us to the starting line, but together we aim to go further, faster to ensure the UK is a global destination for clinical research to improve the health and wealth of the nation.

Dr Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, said:

The NHS App is transforming how people manage their healthcare, with new features letting them see their test results or check when prescriptions are ready to collect – all at the tap of a screen.

We're making it easier to sign up for clinical trials through the NHS App so patients can access new treatments and technologies earlier, improving their quality of care.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - which makes sure that medicines and healthcare products available in the UK are safe and effective - has already improved its performance.

All clinical trial approval backlogs are cleared, and performance targets are now being met. Building on this, the 10 Year Health Plan will see the MHRA focus its attention on the most complex and potentially transformational new treatments – like individually personalised cancer vaccines, and the regulation of artificial intelligence. 

Nicola Perrin, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said:

Clinical trials are good for patients, the NHS and the economy. But both commercial and non-commercial trials in the UK have closed because of failures to recruit.

Today's announcements will help to maximise opportunities for everyone to take part in research and speed up access to innovative treatments. We warmly welcome the focus on driving up the participation of diverse and under-served groups – something that is incredibly important to our member charities.

It's encouraging to see the government recognise that boosting access to clinical trials must be a key part of the 10 Year Health Plan. Transforming clinical trials is an important step in truly embedding research in the NHS, securing the UK's position as a leader in life sciences and offering a lifeline to patients.

Professor Andrew Morris CBE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: 

This announcement marks a significant commitment to strengthening the UK's leadership in clinical research. The global clinical trials market is estimated to be worth at least $80 billion by 2030 and countries that can demonstrate speed, quality and cost will have a competitive edge.

This commitment is very welcome as streamlined trial set-up times and enhanced public access through the NHS App will accelerate the translation of cutting-edge treatments from laboratory to bedside, directly benefiting patients whilst driving economic growth and ensuring policymakers have the evidence needed for informed healthcare decisions. 

The focus on improving participation from under-represented communities is important, though success will depend on earning trust and addressing the broader barriers to diverse participation. By embedding research throughout the NHS and making it accessible to all communities, we can ensure that medical innovation benefits reach every corner of society whilst strengthening the UK's position as a hub for life sciences investment and discovery.