£5.7m Welsh Government investment into clinical research and development

26 Aug 2015 11:10 AM

Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething yesterday announced £5.7m investment into clinical research and development in Wales.

The funding will be used to support three clinical trials units in Wales over three years.  

• The North Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health, based at Bangor University, will receive £1.1m
• The South East Wales Trials Unit, based in Cardiff University will receive £2.6m
• Swansea Trials Unit, based at Swansea University will receive £800,000
• The Welsh Health Economics Support Service, based at Bangor University, will also receive £1.2m over three years.  

The funding will support the trials units to attract more large-scale, externally funded, high quality trials, to support the units to grow, invest in expertise and to deliver research evidence from trials within clear timescales.  

The Welsh Health Economics Support Service supports the trials units with health economics expertise, which is a crucial element of applying for funding from major UK clinical trial funders.  

Deputy Minister for Health Vaughan Gething said:

“Our vision is for Wales to be internationally recognised for its excellent health and social care research, research that benefits the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the people of Wales.  This will build on our excellent reputation as a place for well designed clinical trials and studies.  

“This investment is aimed at getting the maximum benefit in terms of research from trials and studies in Wales.”  

The Swansea Trials Unit has just been awarded full trials unit accreditation from the UK Clinical Research Collaboration.  Full registration is the gold standard against which all UK Trials Units are measured

Dean and Head of Swansea University Medical School, Professor Keith Lloyd said:

"Clinical trials are vital to how we improve treatments and outcomes for a wide range of conditions. Congratulations to Swansea Trials Unit which I am sure will help make a difference to this important area of activity.”