Hospital to get £1.4m clinical research hub

The new research hub is set to open in north Devon in 2025, trust bosses hope

A £1.4m clinical research facility which is to be built at a hospital in Devon is set to provide "better outcomes" for patients, an NHS trust boss has said.

The new research hub will be located at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, Prof Helen Quinn, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's director of research and development, said.

Prof Quinn said it was "fantastic news" for people in north Devon, adding she was hopeful it would open in 2025.

"We know patients who are treated in research active hospitals have better health outcomes, even if they are not taking part in the research themselves," said Prof Quinn.

Dedicated clinical research

Staff at the hub would carry out research into new treatments for conditions such as cancer, heart disease, joint problems and rehabilitation for stroke patients, Prof Quinn told BBC Radio Devon.

She added that the hub would enable patients in north Devon to benefit from clinical research just as patients at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital were currently able to benefit from it.

A trust spokesperson said it would be the first dedicated clinical research space in the area and would "significantly increase the number and complexity of clinical research studies the trust can offer".

Trust chief executive Sam Higginson said clinical research was "essential and transformational in ensuring our communities have access to the best care".

"The facility will also help us attract great clinicians at every stage of their careers who want to be involved in research," he added.

The trust is one of 30 across the NHS to have received the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding.

A trust spokesperson said the project aligned "with the Royal Devon’s ambitions to build a better hospital in North Devon to deliver healthcare that’s fit for the future as part of the Our Future Hospital programme".