What does it mean for Policy Makers?

What does this mean for policy makers?

The UK has proved its ability to deliver innovative and adaptive clinical research in the NHS, with remote methods of delivery adopted widely across different types of studies. 

In the UK-wide vision for clinical research delivery, published in March 2021, government sets out the ambition to build on these learnings, by making the clinical research ecosystem more patient-centred, streamlined, efficient and innovative. 

With increasing use of digital tools and remote methods of delivery across the globe, UK infrastructure and capability must keep pace to remain a globally attractive destination for the clinical trials of tomorrow and deliver truly patient-centred research for the benefits of patients and the public.

This is reinforced by the Lord O’Shaughnessy independent review on commercial clinical research in the UK, published in May 2023, which highlights the opportunity for the UK to “gain a global leadership position in the field of digital or decentralised approaches that enable people to take part in research through their GP or even at home.”

To explore how the UK can be a world-leader in these novel approaches, this project has consulted a range of stakeholders, including global industry, clinical trial design and delivery teams and patient and public contributors, and developed five proposed actions. These actions should be considered alongside government efforts to deliver recommendations from the O’Shaughnessy independent review and the commitments in the UK-wide vision for clinical research delivery.