Southampton Research Hub moves

Southampton Research Hub has moved to Shirley Health Centre, in the heart of Shirley.

The hub is based on the ground floor in a newly renovated space.

Opening the new centre was also a chance to mark the evolution of Wessex Research Hubs into an official NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Commercial Research Delivery Centre.

Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test, cut the ribbon to mark the official opening.

She said: "Southampton has always been at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation. I'm honoured to help launch this new Commercial Research Delivery Centre. It's great to see opportunities open up in the community for more people to take part in innovative research which will help to drive improvements in healthcare for all.

"We desperately need more people from all backgrounds to take part to ensure new treatments and interventions are relevant and safe for the whole population – I'd urge people to sign up to bepartofresearch to find out more." 

Satvir was joined by research participant Deborah Knight, from Southampton. “I was thrilled to take part in this special ceremony,” she said. “I’ve previously taken part in a study which was investigating a new flu vaccine, and I am keen to take part again. We need all sorts of people, from all sorts of backgrounds, to put themselves forwards for clinical trials. This is the only way we can improve healthcare for everyone, helping save and improve lives.”

The new centre is part of a national network funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The overall aim of the CRDCs is to enhance the speed and efficiency of commercial clinical research delivery, contributing to the health and wealth of the nation. They will work with industry and other research delivery infrastructure to support the UK’s status as one of the best places in the world for innovative companies to bring their research portfolios.

The new Wessex-based CRDC builds on the success of four existing research hubs in Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth. Since opening, people from across the region have benefitted from being able to take part in vitally important public health studies in their local area. This included taking part in the first ever late stage norovirus vaccine trial, with huge potential to protect both individuals and lessen the winter burden on the healthcare system as a whole.

The new CRDC will:

• Further increase access for the public across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight to participate in important research to advance healthcare

• Help shift clinical trials beyond large hospital trusts into community settings, meaning those in underserved areas will have better access

• Expand the use of our two mobile research units to support more trials in the community

• Support more GP practices to become research active, bringing trials even closes to people’s homes

• Work with patient and public involvement and engagement officers to build local links with communities to increase the diversity of our recruitment

• Broaden our range of research to include trials for both healthy volunteers and patients with conditions – widening access to innovative treatments and interventions

• Create opportunities for people living in Salisbury and Basingstoke to take part in research

• Provide access to a network of commercially active sites with gold-standard set-up times and performance

• Build links with industry, leading to greater inward investment into the Wessex area and the UK as a whole