UHSM announces new research unit for patient trials 

UHSM has been successful in its £2.45 million Government bid to develop a new research facility for clinical trials at Wythenshawe Hospital. Tomorrow’s treatments for today’s patients will be the goal, following the decision by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to award the Trust the money despite the difficult economic climate.

Researchers say it will mean UHSM will be able to integrate and significantly grow its health care portfolio, which is already one of the most extensive in the North West, and boasts some of the best clinical research in the UK. Already three of the country’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have expressed interest in using the new facility.

Building work will begin shortly to extend the highly successful Medicines Evaluation Unit on site so that the focus will develop from early stage phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials to create a hub for studying the efficacy of more population focused, evidence-based treatments. There is clear evidence that people who are treated in hospitals that undertake clinical trials have better clinical outcomes. This is because they are more intensively monitored and the level of their care often continues after the trial has finished. 

Professor Chris Griffiths, MAHSC’s Director said. “Greater Manchester has some of the poorest health indicators in the country in that rates of infant mortality, cardiac disease, mental health disorders and cancer exceed the national average, and men who live within the Manchester local authority boundary have the lowest average male life expectancy (73 years) in England Thus studies from large patient trials that translate basic laboratory innovations into improved health for the population of Greater Manchester are to be welcomed and are central to the vision of the Academic Health Science Centre.”