Research within the NHS plays a critical role in driving medical advances that improve and save countless lives.
In 2018 we, with input from our member charities, made proposals to inform NHS England’s Long Term Plan which was published in January 2019.
The plan includes welcome commitments for research and innovation within the NHS, as well as commitments for the transformation of the service through the introduction of data and digital measures:
We’re continuing to work with NHS England and NHS Improvement on the delivery of the plan, including making the case for the importance of the NHS workforce’s capacity and capability to undertake research and support the spread of innovation in the NHS.
Our chief executive sits on the board of the Accelerate Access Collaborative (AAC), which is the umbrella body across the UK health innovation ecosystem. It sits between NHS England and NHS Improvement, with the aim to make the UK one of the most pro-innovation healthcare systems in the world. Our voice on the board ensures that the views of our member charities are represented.
In 2013 we worked with patients and stakeholders from all levels of the NHS, parliament and research funders to develop our vision for research in the NHS. The resulting report and report summary sets out practical steps that we can all take to embed research throughout the NHS.