Mersey Care chosen as one of UK's Commercial Research Delivery Centres

Mersey Care has been chosen as one of 20 Commercial Research Delivery Centres ((CRDCs) across the UK by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which aims to give patients access to pioneering clinical trials and treatments in record time.

The Trust has been selected as a host as part of the NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG), formerly known as Liverpool University Hospitals, and will bring cutting-edge commercial research to communities in Cheshire and Merseyside. 

The Liverpool CRDC, funded as part of a £100 million government private investment initiative, will support the rapid set-up of commercial studies, meaning patients can begin accessing treatments as part of clinical trials as early as possible.

"We're delighted to be bringing a Commercial Research Delivery Centre to Cheshire and Merseyside, making research accessible to the communities served by our organisations," explained Professor Terry Jones, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery and Director of Research at UHLG and Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System, who will lead the Liverpool CRDC.

“The CRDC will make Cheshire and Merseyside the preferred provider for commercial companies carrying out research, giving patients and participants more opportunities than ever before to take part in research.

“Strengthening and enhancing our current research portfolio, the CRDC will allow us to take research to new heights across the region, building on our already successful research infrastructure."

Alongside UHLG, the Centre will bring together Cheshire and Merseyside organisations including primary and social care, voluntary organisations and 10 secondary care organisations from the region, including:

• Liverpool Women’s Hospital (part of UHLG)
• Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
• Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
• The Walton Centre Foundation Trust
• Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
• Alder Hey Children`s Hospital
• Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• The Countess of Chester Hospital
• Mersey and West Lancashire NHS Foundation Trust
• Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

As part of the NHS 10-year plan, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced plans to establish 20 CRDCs. Establishing the CRDC in Cheshire and Merseyside should ensure more studies and treatments will be available in areas including cancer, respiratory illness, obesity, and infectious diseases.

The Government’s aim is to shift from treatment to prevention and this investment will support research into preventative vaccines and medicines, ultimately helping people live healthier lives for longer.

Jenny Crooks, Deputy Managing Director of Liverpool Health Partners (LHP), who supported Professor Jones in bringing the partners together, said: "This achievement reflects the strength of collaboration across the Cheshire and Merseyside healthcare research ecosystem. LHP are a partnership between the research – intensive universities and NHS trusts across Liverpool.

“We're proud to have played a key role in aligning partners and securing this opportunity to increase funding and increase the access to vital research and innovative treatment for the patients and public across Cheshire and Merseyside.”

Studies show that research-active hospitals and organisations achieve better health outcomes for patients, due to better understanding of the effects of treatments, ongoing care and monitoring as part of a research study.

The CRDC collaborative will allow health and research programmes across the region to continue to build on ground-breaking research, supported by specialist services.