Published: 4 May 2018

Commenting on the announcement of the NHS England's response to the 'Supporting Research in the NHS' consultation, Aisling Burnand MBE, chief executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities said:

“We welcome NHS England’s response to this consultation to simplify arrangements for research in the NHS. This represents an opportunity for NHS England and the charity sector to come together to support high quality research that patients want and need. AMRC members invest significant amounts of funding on research in the NHS and it’s important that the voice of the charity sector is heard in these discussions. There is much to be resolved, including the Excess Treatment Cost (ETC) absorption thresholds and the rate at which CCGs pay into centralised funds. This response outlines an initial ‘mark in the sand’ for these rates but the paucity of data to quantify ETCs requires these levels to be kept under review. Should they be insufficient, NHS England and CCGs must work together to commit to increasing ETC funding. We must not lose sight of the important benefits research brings to patients and the NHS itself. This requires all of us to be suited towards the detailed cooperation needed to ensure high quality research is both encouraged and supported”.