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18/09/2013
New £4m Clinical Research Hub Opens
A new £4m clinical research hub opening in Belfast today will enable more patients than ever before to take part in clinical trials in Northern Ireland.
Known as The Wellcome Trust-Wolfson Foundation Northern Ireland Clinical Research Facility (NICRF), it will concentrate on four main research themes; cancer, nutrition and metabolism, vision science and respiratory research.
The facility will also benefit those with rare conditions, who, until now, have had to travel to England to participate in trials.
It is a joint venture between Queen's University Belfast, The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, The University of Ulster and Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D), a division of the Public Health Agency (PHA).
Based in Belfast City Hospital, the NICRF has the infrastructure to support clinical trials from conception to completion. With dedicated staff, the NICRF now allows researchers to access a specialised area for clinical research, including equipment not available in the NHS. It contains ten clinical rooms, a blood processing facility and a diet kitchen for nutrition studies.
Researchers hope that hundreds of patients will be offered the chance to take part in clinical trials each year, leading to a major increase in numbers previously enrolled in research studies in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister, Edwin Poots MLA, said: "This new state-of-the-art facility is an important element of Northern Ireland's health research infrastructure and will enhance our ability to produce valuable, useable results.
"Across the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts, we have invested significantly, especially in the past five years, so that our professional staff can undertake research directly relevant to their patients and practice and can use the knowledge gained from that research.
"Research, development and innovation are essential for modern healthcare systems so we can advance the quality of our services, whether in disease prevention, diagnosis or treatment. Research also provides vital knowledge that can improve the cost-effectiveness and value for money of our health services."
(CD/JP)
Known as The Wellcome Trust-Wolfson Foundation Northern Ireland Clinical Research Facility (NICRF), it will concentrate on four main research themes; cancer, nutrition and metabolism, vision science and respiratory research.
The facility will also benefit those with rare conditions, who, until now, have had to travel to England to participate in trials.
It is a joint venture between Queen's University Belfast, The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, The University of Ulster and Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D), a division of the Public Health Agency (PHA).
Based in Belfast City Hospital, the NICRF has the infrastructure to support clinical trials from conception to completion. With dedicated staff, the NICRF now allows researchers to access a specialised area for clinical research, including equipment not available in the NHS. It contains ten clinical rooms, a blood processing facility and a diet kitchen for nutrition studies.
Researchers hope that hundreds of patients will be offered the chance to take part in clinical trials each year, leading to a major increase in numbers previously enrolled in research studies in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister, Edwin Poots MLA, said: "This new state-of-the-art facility is an important element of Northern Ireland's health research infrastructure and will enhance our ability to produce valuable, useable results.
"Across the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts, we have invested significantly, especially in the past five years, so that our professional staff can undertake research directly relevant to their patients and practice and can use the knowledge gained from that research.
"Research, development and innovation are essential for modern healthcare systems so we can advance the quality of our services, whether in disease prevention, diagnosis or treatment. Research also provides vital knowledge that can improve the cost-effectiveness and value for money of our health services."
(CD/JP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A very mild, but mostly cloudy day, although with some bright or sunny spells. It will be mostly dry in the morning, but a little patchy light rain or drizzle at times in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 14 °C.Tonight:A band of heavier rain will move east during the evening before clearing eastwards after midnight. then mostly dry through the early hours, but a little rain towards dawn. Minimum temperature 8 °C.
