UCLH was the top recruiter of patients to studies on the NIHR portfolio last year in the North Thames area – the NIHR region which includes 23 NHS Trusts and 20 Clinical Commissioning Groups in parts of London, Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
20,244 people took part in research studies at UCLH between April 2019 and March 2020 – making up nearly a third of the total number who took part across the whole of the North Thames Clinical Research Network (CRN). UCLH ran 369 studies over the period – also the highest in the region.
The North Thames CRN as a whole had the highest number of studies among the 15 CRNs across England, and had the second highest number of study participants.
The NIHR CRN supports the delivery of high-quality research across the country. They help to increase opportunities for people to take part in clinical research and make sure that studies are carried out efficiently.
UCLH is also in the top 5 recruiters – out of 170 – to the GenOMICC study (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) which at UCLH is led by Dr David Brealey. The NIHR national priority study for Covid-19 is seeking to identify the specific genes that cause some people to be susceptible to specific infections, including Covid-19.
Researchers will compare DNA and cells from carefully selected patients with samples from healthy people.
Finding the genes that cause susceptibility may help us to prioritise treatments to respond to the global crisis. All patients with confirmed COVID-19 in critical care are eligible for GenOMICC.
Read more on the GenOMICC website and view BBC coverage of the trial.
