National Patient Recruitment Centres
Dedicated to delivering late-phase commercial research
We continue to improve speed and efficiency by:
Establishing 5 purpose designed centres dedicated to late-phase commercial research in 2019 to 2020.
Identified through NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) competition, the centres will offer rapid setup of late phase commercial research, standardised contracting and delivery approaches where appropriate, and dedicated facilities and staff.
They will increase the NHS’s capacity to deliver research, enabling significant growth and opportunities for patients to benefit from early access to innovation.
* Policy paper: Life Sciences Sector Deal 2, December 2018
Introduction
National Patient Recruitment Centres (PRCs) are dedicated to setting up and delivering late-phase commercial clinical trials at pace and scale.
Our National Patient Recruitment Centres (PRCs) are the first family of NIHR-funded research infrastructure that is 100% dedicated to delivering commercial research.
They bring to life one of the Sector Deal 2 commitments contributing to the Government’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy which sets out a series of measures to strengthen the UK’s clinical research environment and improve the UK’s competitiveness in the global market.
In a rapidly changing world, it’s crucial that the UK remains at the forefront of medical science and the development of innovative new treatments. Our PRCs have been created with this in mind.
The UK already has an excellent track record for delivering clinical research. On average over the last five years:
* 1,289,937 participants took part in studies across England alone, and 28,193 of those took part in commercial research;
* In total, the NIHR supported 6,383 studies, of which 1,688 were commercial;
* 100% of the organisations that make up our National Health Service (NHS) have actively recruited participants into clinical research, with 75% contributing to commercial research.
Our PRCs are the next phase. They offer new ways to conduct late-phase, large-scale commercial research projects and will help to maintain the UK’s position as a global destination for commercial clinical research.
Innovation is key and is a defining characteristic of our PRCs. They seek to optimise the unique opportunities for delivering commercial clinical research that are presented by our NHS and provide a test bed for new ideas in clinical trial delivery.
Speed and efficiency are also key. By making it easier and quicker to deliver commercial research, our PRCs are not only increasing the UK’s capacity and capability for delivering commercial trials, they are also improving how we deliver those trials.
So whether you require a new recruitment strategy to reach a specific patient population or a test bed for a decentralised trial, we hope you will consider bringing your trial to our PRCs. In doing so, you will be helping us to increase opportunities for our NHS patients to access cutting edge treatments and therapies.
General enquiries
Email: prc@nihr.ac.uk
Web: www.nihr.ac.uk/prcs
Five sites, five reasons to work with us
Our PRCs have a number of unique features which offer new ways to conduct late-phase, large-scale commercial research projects through the NHS.
One collaboration, five sites
Our five centres make it easier and quicker to deliver commercial clinical research by offering:
* One point of contact;
* A single costing strategy;
* Streamlined study set-up;
* Consistent Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Dedicated to commercial research
We exclusively deliver research funded by the life sciences industry.
* Exceptional experience and expertise in working with life science companies and Contract Research Organisations;
* Dedicated staff resource to deliver your trial;
* State of the art facilities and exclusive space to run your study.
Patient focused
We prioritise the patient experience throughout their research journey. 97% of participants surveyed at our centres said they would take part in commercial research again. We offer:
* A concierge-style service with accessible hours of operation and in accessible locations;
* Initiatives to support patient recruitment and inclusivity in trials;
* Welcoming waiting areas with free parking and refreshments.
Site capability
Our centres have been specifically selected for their:
* Excellent track record in delivering commercial research;
* Access to NHS clinical investigators to lead and conduct your research, across a wide range of therapeutic areas;
* Ability to extend their recruitment reach beyond specialist hospital clinics and reach patients with common, chronic conditions;
* Distinct opportunities to access under-served patient populations in areas of high disease prevalence;
* Ability to rapidly scale up operations to meet individual trial requirements.
Innovation in delivery
We pride ourselves on being a test bed for innovation in terms of:
* Proactive and inclusive recruitment strategies;
* Data driven patient identification and engagement;
* Pioneering trial capabilities, such as decentralised trial delivery;
* Strong links to community care for recruitment and remote monitoring.
Our performance
Infographic:
* 80% recruitment to time and target
* 97% of those participants who responded agreed/strongly agreed with the statement ‘I would consider taking part in research again’
* 100% of companies that responded strongly agreed that they were satisfied with delivery of their studies in the PRCs at both the set-up and recruitment completion stages of delivery
* 100% of companies that responded strongly agreed with the statement that they would recommend the PRCs to a colleague or another company
* Initiation of studies 43 days. 3 days faster than the national average
“We were aware that the UK had a health research system embedded in its national health service that could potentially help us enrol quickly, and this positively influenced our decision to conduct a trial in the UK. We were [also] keenly aware of the UK’s Urgent Public Health response and process. Our first port of call when bringing the trial to the UK, after the protocol was approved by MHRA, was to work with NIHR to ensure rapid recruitment and enrollment that would ideally provide a near-term view of NVX-CoV2373’s efficacy.” Novavax
"The RELIEVE IBS-D trial team has gone to great efforts to keep IBS research going throughout the pandemic. Working with a forward-thinking NHS team like the one at Newcastle has really helped us transition to this new virtual version of our trial. Enrolment, consent, treatment and doctor visits are all being conducted remotely, without the patient needing to leave their home.” Enteromed Ltd
Key successes
Novavax COVID-19
The Novavax study is the largest ever double blind, placebo-controlled trial to be undertaken in the UK. Three PRCs were instrumental in the delivery of Novavax Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial during the pandemic, with all three PRCs exceeding their recruitment targets collectively by 47%.
* 10 days set-up
* 5 days first patient
* Over 1900 patients recruited
* First global patient recruited at PRC: Blackpool
Moderna mRNA-1273.529 Omicron vaccine study
Three PRCs supported Moderna’s phase 3 Omicron COVID-19 vaccine trial, which closed in January 2023. The study was Moderna’s first UK commercially sponsored vaccine trial. The PRCs all exceeded their recruitment targets before the study closed in June 2022.
* 378 participants recruited
* 97% average retention rate
HARMONIE trial
Three PRCs supported the HARMONIE study, a collaboration between Sanofi and AstraZeneca evaluating the efficacy of nirsevimab - targeted specifically to fight Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in babies. In the UK, approximately 4,000 participants took part in the study. The PRCs developed cross-collaborations and utilised expertise to deliver this study successfully. This study was centrally costed by PRC: Exeter using the National Contract Value Review which helped to reduce set-up times for sponsors.
* 38 days average set-up time
* PRC: Exeter exceeded recruitment target by 25%, recruiting 80 patients
Ensemble 2
The purpose of Ensemble 2 is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Janssen-Cilag vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The total number of participants worldwide was 30,000, half of whom received the Janssen-Cilag vaccine candidate and the other half receiving a placebo. In the UK, approximately 6,000 participants took part in the study.
* PRC: Leicester target: 350
* Actual recruitment: 569 (in less than 8 weeks)
* Most diverse participant cohort outside of London
* Second highest recruiter in the country out of 55 sites
Relieve IBS-D
RELIEVE IBS-D, conducted collaboratively by Enteromed and the NIHR, is a gastroenterology trial which tested a new drug-free intestinal adsorbent oral gel, Enterosgel, to help relieve the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhoea. From the outset, the sponsor and the PI collaborated with patients to improve trial design. Then, due to the pandemic, this morphed once again to be delivered via a virtual trial. Innovative recruitment methods were used to recruit patients via social media and online registries. Virtual trial delivery methods were also utilised: e-consent, e-data capture, virtual consultations, and product delivery at home.
* 129 participants total recruitment
* 17 weeks to recruitment
* 67% faster recruitment via virtual method
* First virtual interventional trial in England
Patient Recruitment Centre: Blackpool
PRC: Blackpool is situated within Blackpool Victoria Hospital in the north west of England.
The PRC is hosted by Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It is co-located with the Lancashire Cardiac Centre and Lancashire Haematology Centre, which are both centres of excellence, and our team delivers commercial studies within these therapeutic areas and more. The Trust serves a regional health economy catchment area that spans Lancashire and South Cumbria, supporting a population of 1.6 million. The Trust is a provider of specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services across this region.
“Drawing upon the country’s renowned research expertise and the world’s largest, and most fully integrated healthcare system, the PRCs are providing a unique proposition to the life science industry. Leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies are bringing phase 3 trials to the PRCs so that COVID-19 vaccine research can be delivered at pace and scale in a safe environment. We look forward to continued collaboration with leading life science companies.”* Dr Rebecca Clark, Principal Investigator, Layton Medical Centre, Blackpool
Our expertise
We support clinical research spanning a large number of therapeutic areas including: Anaesthesia, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic, Community, Care of the Elderly, Covid-19 Critical Care, Cystic Fibrosis, Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dermatology, Diabetes, Emergency Care, ENT, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, Musculoskeletal, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Respiratory, Surgery, Stroke, and Urology.
Research expertise
* 62 chief and principal investigators delivering research in 27 therapeutic areas
Patient population reach
* The host NHS trust provides:
* a range of acute services to approximately 352,000 people
* a range of community health services approximately 445,000 people
* Local partnerships help us to reach 1.6 million people
* Wider regional collaborations extend our reach to more than 6 million people
Our customers
To date we have worked with:
* Bayer
* Roche
* Novartis
* Sanofi
* AstraZeneca
* GSK
* Janssen
* Pfizer
* Eli Lilly
* Amgen
* Syneos Health
* IQVIA
* Parexel
Significant successes
* Roche, Astefania cancer study, first UK site to open, May 2021
* Janssen, MajesTEC-3 cancer study,
- First UK site to open
- Highest recruiting site in UK.
* NOVAVAX, phase 3 trial of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate, successes achieved in collaboration with Layton Medical Centre, a primary care general practice, September 2020:
- Recruited world’s first participants
- First site to recruit 100 patients
- 471 patients recruited in 30 days
* AstraZeneca, ER-positive and HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer study, first site in UK to recruit
- AstraZeneca, Tropion1, cancer study, first site to open in Europe and UK
- Incyte, InMind cancer study, first UK site to recruit participant
Our research landscape
One of our strengths is our ability to connect with our local and regional health care community. The Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System is a partnership of NHS, local councils, voluntary, community and faith sector organisations, public sector, and local communities. Five Integrated Care Partnerships comprise the Integrated Care System, ours being the Fylde Coast Integrated Care Partnership, also known as Healthier Fylde Coast. As a result we have:
* positive partnerships with primary care colleagues;
* strong links with partner NHS Trusts in the NIHR North West Coast region;
* an overall potential reach to a population of over 1.6 million.
Unique to our region
* Blackpool is in the top 20% most deprived areas in England;
* We have one of the lowest life expectancies amongst men and women when compared with local authorities nationally;
* The region has the largest proportion of people aged 50+ in Lancashire and one of the lowest percentages of people under the age of 15 in the county;
* We are within the highest 20 Clinical Commissioning Group areas for cancer incidence in 11 of 15 tumour types.
Patient Recruitment Centre: Bradford
PRC: Bradford is in the heart of northern England and hosted by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
We are located on the Bradford Royal Infirmary site where over £9 million has been invested in research infrastructure over the last decade to create the Bradford Health Research Hub - a focal point for our research expertise. This includes the Bradford Institute for Health Research (BIHR), our new PRC, and the £3 million Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research (a partnership with the Universities of Bradford and Leeds).
“The team at Bradford have always been available to help with study issues and discuss recruitment, even at short notice. The team working on our studies have always been motivated and prompt in their work, and have produced good quality data.” - Chiesi Farmaceutici
Our expertise
We support clinical research spanning a large number of therapeutic areas including: Respiratory Medicine, Cardiology, Diabetes, Stroke, Haematology, Nephrology, Oncology, Digestive Diseases, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatric and Neonatal Medicine, Maxillofacial, Dermatology, Rheumatology, ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat), Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Anaesthetics, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and Infectious Diseases.
Research expertise
* 186 chief and principal investigators delivering research in 32 therapeutic areas
* 5 key opinion leaders in Respiratory, Ophthalmology, Rheumatology, Cardiovascular and Diabetes
Patient population reach
* The host NHS trust provides:
* core services for 500,000 people
* specialist services for 1.1 million
* Local partnerships help us to reach 2.5 million people in West Yorkshire
* Wider regional collaborations extend our reach to 5 million people across Yorkshire
Our customers
We are a preferred UK research site for:
* Novartis
* AstraZeneca
* Sanofi
* Roche
* Genentech
* GSK
* A Northern Prime site for IQVIA
Significant successes
* Sanofi, LPS16676 Respiratory study, first European patient recruited, June 2022
* AstraZeneca, Frontier 3 Respiratory study, first UK patient recruited, June 2022
* AstraZeneca, Titania respiratory study, global first patient recruited, February 2022
* Sanofi: respiratory study, first European Patient in Tide study, December 2022
Our research landscape
* The Bradford region is culturally diverse with a large Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic population with the largest proportion of people of Pakistani ethnic origin in England.
* Our multilingual staff and interpreters ensure equity of access for our diverse communities.
* Bradford is also the ‘youngest’ city in terms of the average age – the district’s population has the fourth highest proportion of under 16 year olds in England.
* We are a ‘City of Research’ with research firmly embedded within our culture.
* Strong local and regional partnerships with NHS Trusts, primary care and local government, and universities including the Universities of Bradford, York and Leeds.
* Our Connected Bradford dataset is one of the richest in the UK, containing deeply phenotyped/genotyped data with linked health (and educational/social care) data for 700,000 citizens.
* We are a digitally developed NHS organisation with full Electronic Patient Records (EPR) and excellent system-wide linkage.
Unique to our region
* One in four people describe themselves as Asian / Asian British ethnic origin.
* We have the 4th highest proportion of under 16 year olds in England.
* Access to phenotyped/ genotyped data for 700,000 citizens.
Patient Recruitment Centre: Exeter
PRC: Exeter is located within the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - a leading centre for high-quality clinical research and development in the South West Peninsula.
The PRC is hosted by one of the country’s/UK’s first Foundation Trusts which provides integrated health and care services across Exeter and East and Mid Devon. The Trust manages a large acute teaching hospital, twelve community sites, and provides acute and community services to a core population of over 450,000.
“I received a text from my GP informing me about the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine trial. They mentioned the basic criteria for the trial and an email address if I was interested. From the moment I sent the email to my first vaccination, everybody involved was fantastic. Even the physical examination and drawing of blood was as painless as they could make it, and the study personnel reassured me and informed me on everything they did all the way.” Novavax trial volunteer
Our expertise
We support clinical research spanning a large number of therapeutic areas including: Ageing, Anaesthetics Perioperative & Pain Management, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Children, Critical Care, Dementias and Neurodegeneration, Dermatology, Diabetes, Ear Nose & Throat (ENT), Gastroenterology, Genetics, Haematology, Health Service and Delivery Research, Hepatology, Infectious Disease and Microbiology, Mental Health, Metabolic and Endocrine, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Neurological Disorders, Ophthalmology, Oral and Dental health, Renal, Reproductive Health and Childbirth, Respiratory, Stroke, Surgery, Trauma & Emergency Care.
Research expertise
Over 20 chief investigators and 269 principal investigators supporting 166 studies in 28 therapeutic areas.
Patient population reach
* Our host NHS trust provides acute and community services to over 450,000 people
* Local partnerships help us to reach 1.25 million people in primary care
* Wider regional collaborations extend our reach to the 1.1 million population of Devon
Our customers
We have excellent working relationships with the top Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) and are recognised as a site who can deliver studies effectively, open to recruitment quickly and efficiently, and achieve agreed recruitment targets on time. Existing collaborations with life science industry partners include the IQVIA Peninsula Prime Site initiative and membership to the South West Pfizer INSPIRE site initiative.
Significant successes
* Sanofi, phase 3 Harmonie trial of the RSV vaccine in babies, January 2023. Successes include:
- Exceeded recruitment target of 65, recruiting 80 participants.
- Highest recruiter in the UK for the study between October and January 2023.
* Moderna, phase 3 Omicron COVID-19 vaccine trial, January 2023 successes include:
- 97% retention rate of participants.
- Exceeded recruitment target of 150, recruiting 157 participants.
* Jazz Pharmaceuticals (IQVIA), CREST cancer study, exceeded the recruitment target (8/6).
Our research landscape
* Devon has an older population profile than the national average presenting opportunities for research in their comorbid conditions including dementia.
* Opportunities for recruitment via Participant Identification Centres (PIC) model utilising strong working links with Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, Devon Dementia Collaboration, and GPs.
* Close connection with the University of Exeter and working closely with the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility enables us to work with life sciences partners across all phases of their product development.
* Electronic Health Records, optimising decentralised trial capability, using EPIC system.
Additional patient populations can be quickly accessed through a number of available high-profile initiatives such as:
* The NIHR Exeter (EXTEND) 10,000 study.
* The PROTECT Study (target 50000 participants).
* The 100,000 Genomes Project.
Unique to our region
* Approximately 20% of the population of Devon are aged 65-84.
* 3.5% are aged over 85.
* Approximately 5% of the Devon population live in the most deprived 20% of areas nationally.
Patient Recruitment Centre: Leicester
PRC: Leicester is located at Leicester General Hospital, in the heart of England, in one of the most diverse, multicultural cities in the UK. We are just one hour from London by train.
“The Leicester trial team has done a terrific job recruiting patients for our key trial for IgA Nephropathy. They managed to obtain the first patient, first visit globally which was a significant milestone and assisted us in pushing competitive recruitment in the UK, as well as reinforcing the UK as continuing to be at the forefront for research and clinical trials globally.” Novartis UK
Our expertise and facilities
As one of the largest acute trusts in England, we have research active staff in all specialties and world-renowned experts in: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Diabetes, Cancer, and Renal Medicine.
As well as our PRC, the trust hosts and manages a wealth of NIHR research delivery infrastructure, including a Biomedical Research Centre, Clinical Research Facility, Clinical Research Network East Midlands, and an Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (jointly funded by CRUK). It also hosts the National Centre for Drug Adherence Testing. This means that our PRC has access to:
* A clinical trials pharmacy;
* Full pathology services;
* Sample preparation laboratories;
* Imaging (CT/MRI/interventional radiology);
* A DEXA scanner;
* Fully equipped gym for exercise interventions, cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic assessments;
* Access to specialist equipment for, but not limited to, Cardiology, Respiratory, Paediatric, and Emergency Medicine;
* Use of an electronic sign-off system to support high-speed sign-off of capacity and capability assessments.
Research expertise
Over the last five years:
* Commercial research:
* 139 investigators covering 32 therapeutic areas.
* All research:
* 532 investigators covering 57 therapeutic areas.
Patient population reach
* Our host NHS Trust provides:
* core services to 1 million people in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
* specialist services to between 2 and 3 million patients.
* Regional partnerships and collaborations help us to reach 2 million people.
Our customers
We have excellent relationships with several pharmaceutical companies including:
* Novartis
* Roche
* Sanofi
* NovoNordisk
* Eli Lilly
We have partnership agreements with major Contract Research Organisations (CROs) including:
* Parexel
* PPD
* IQVIA
Significant successes
* Janssen, Ensemble 2 COVID-19 vaccine study successes in April 2021 include
* Highest diversity outside of London
* Exceeded recruitment target - 350 target, 569 recruited
* Applied Therapeutics (Medpace), Arise HF, a phase 3 diabetes study investigating new medicine AT-001, exceeded the recruitment target by 50%, July 2022.
* Metronic, The ADAPT study in Type 1 diabetes recruited all the participants in a very short time frame; 9 people in 20 calendar days. The study investigated a hybrid closed loop insulin pump.
Our research landscape
* The city of Leicester is the first non-white majority population in the UK. The wider county, in contrast, consists of a majority white, affluent, and rural population.
* We work closely with the Centre for Ethnic Health Research.
* We can work closely with a number of organisations to support rapid, high volume patient recruitment across our region. We are part of Leicestershire Integrated Care System, which enables us to access the patient populations of:
* Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust which provides community and mental health services to a population of over 1 million;
* Our three local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs): East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG; West Leicestershire CCG; and NHS Leicester City CCG which also serve a combined total of over 1 million people.
* We have excellent direct engagement with many primary care services and general practices (GPs).
* We have developed a contact management database in REDCap that combines primary care network and GP contact data and other business intelligence relating to GP research interest and engagement. This has been used effectively in major studies like GENVASC and CODEC.
Unique to our region
* 55% of Leicester city residents are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
* 61% of the city’s population is under 40 years.
* Children and young people under 20 years make up a quarter of the population.
* Over 80% of the wider Leicestershire county is classed as rural.
Patient Recruitment Centre: Newcastle
PRC: Newcastle is located at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality in the north east of England.
Our host organisation, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is one of the largest NHS organisations in the UK and a renowned world class provider of healthcare. In 2017/2018, our host Trust came into contact with 1.84 million patients. More than 30% of those patients came from outside the region to take advantage of our expertise. In 2019, the Trust established a bespoke stand-alone research centre, which has evolved to become PRC: Newcastle.
In 2020, PRC: Newcastle revolutionised the delivery of a traditional site-based trial which had halted due to the onset of COVID-19.
“The RELIEVE IBS-D trial team has gone to great efforts to keep IBS research going throughout the pandemic. Working with a forward-thinking NHS team like the one at Newcastle has really helped us transition to this new virtual version of our trial. Enrolment, consent, treatment, and doctor visits are all being conducted remotely, without the patient needing to leave their home.” Enteromed Ltd
We continue to ensure that our clinical research delivery maximises excellence in opportunities and outcomes for patients and quality and efficiency for sponsors.
Our expertise and capabilities
In response to our regional healthcare needs, we have supported a number of research studies in common chronic conditions such as: episodic headaches, asthma, COPD, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
At PRC: Newcastle, we take a multi-faceted approach to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of recruiting participants from our population, while also encouraging and broadening equity of access to research opportunities. This includes:
* direct advertising;
* social media platforms;
* intelligent feasibility;
* a bespoke study recruitment platform comprising:
* Research+Me, a consent for contact registry,
* disease specific registries such as ContactMe-IBS,
* online self-screening programmes;
* call centre capability;
* effective management of high volumes of potential participants;
* end to end virtual trial capability.
Research expertise
* Investigators leading commercial research in 23 therapeutic areas.
* With further access to chief and principal investigators delivering research in all 30 therapeutic areas.
Patient population reach
* Our host Trust has over 1.7 million patient contacts per year.
* Up to 1.2 million people reached through primary care links with CCGs across our regional geography.
Our customers
We have excellent relationships with several pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organisations (CROs).
* Pfizer INSPIRE site.
* A flagship site for Medpace, an Alliance site with Parexel.
* Partnership agreements with Bayer, IQVIA, Novartis and Roche.
Significant successes
* Enteromed, Relieve-IBS virtual trial recruited its first participant within three days of study opening.
* Cardiovascular Lipoprotein(a) screening study, PRC: Newcastle was the top recruiting site for the study. Recruiting 97 participants in 7 weeks. Using novel recruitment methods such as registries and social media.
Our research landscape
* North East and North Cumbria has high disease burden prevalence rates. This is especially true for a number of common, chronic conditions such as COPD, diabetes, and heart failure, cancer, and dementia.
* We extend our research beyond hospital settings by collaborating with a number of local primary care networks to access community-based data with a reach extending 80,000 people.
* We have strong partnerships with practices and the wider Integrated Care System (ICS) to provide us with ‘ready-to-go’ PIC capability through which we can reach an even greater population up to 1.2 million.
Unique to our region
* Newcastle upon Tyne is home to nearly 274,000 people.
* The county of Tyne and Wear has a population of 1.1 million.
* Life expectancy in the region is two years lower than the rest of the country and premature death is 20% higher.
* Highest prevalence rates for COPD, Type I Diabetes, and Heart Failure in 2018-19.
* Featured in the ‘top three’ regions for type II diabetes, cancer, and dementia In 2018-19.
Comments from research participants
“It was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about my condition and to take part in a trial that was recruiting locally-based patients. [...] The process was so easy. The team was welcoming and brilliant at explaining everything. They took the time to answer all of my questions. I am so excited to see the results.”
“I was made to feel very comfortable and the team did everything they could to make things as easy as possible, such as offering to order me a taxi to take me to and from the facility. I didn’t need one as I chose to drive, but the team reserved a parking space for me. I felt valued and that my experience as an individual mattered.”