Published: 7 January 2019

Commenting on the publication of the NHS Long-Term Plan, Aisling Burnand MBE CEO of the Association of Medical Research Charities said:

“Earlier in 2018 we, with AMRC member contributions, set out plans for research and innovation to inform the development of the Long-Term Plan. Recognition of the value of this in the published Plan today could create a step-change for health. We know that, as ever, the devil will be in the detail. To that end we will be taking this as a welcome starting point and look forward to working with NHS England on how the envisaged outcomes of the Plan can be made a reality for patients through sound implementation.

“It is clear, that in these times of significant financial constraint, research and innovation will be essential if we are to do things differently, be more sustainable, and deliver better quality outcomes and services for patients and carers.

“Increasing the number of people registering to participate in research to 1 million by 2024 and targeting investment in areas such as genomics are important first steps towards patients having access to new treatment options. A key next step for success will be making sure the UK has a workforce ready and able to make research happen. At AMRC we are already working with others in the sector to explore how healthcare professionals could have enough time to conduct research. We will share the results to inform national policy over the next 12 months.

“We would like to publicly offer our help as the voice of the charitable medical research sector to help NHS England in the vital next steps to ensure the practical success of these proposals.”