Multi-million pound funding boost for clinical research facilities

King's Health Partners has received £11 million in government funding to continue providing our researchers with the state-of-the-art facilities and staff they need to conduct ground breaking experimental medicine studies.

The funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - which supports a network of Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) across the UK - was awarded following a competitive bidding process.

It will support the CRFs at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts to work together to gain new insights into common themes, especially the interface between mental and physical health.  

CRFs provide dedicated facilities and research staff to support the NHS, universities and companies to undertake clinical research. 

The NIHR CRF at Guy’s and St Thomas’ will receive £7 million from the NIHR. It now hosts five times more phase 1 clinical trials involving 82% more patients (14,000 in 2015/16) than it did in 2012. More than 95% of patients who visit the CRF recommend participation in clinical research. Areas of research include cancer and children’s health conditions. 

The NIHR is also awarding £4 million to South London and Maudsley for the NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s CRF.  Current work taking place there includes accelerating the development of new treatments for patients with mental health, brain and physical disorders, and understanding better the mental-physical health dimensions of disorders including diabetes, leukaemia, and kidney, liver and heart disease. 

Professor Phil Chowienczyk, Director of the CRF at Guy’s and St Thomas’ said:

This new award from the NIHR recognises the significant growth in the number of studies we support and the increased use of our Facility by researchers and patients. Our aim over the next five years is to welcome more researchers and patients through our doors than ever before.

Professor Peter Goadsby, Director of the NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s CRF, said:

Our renewed funding will enable us to continue our crucial work bridging the gap from laboratory to clinic in common and disabling diseases. Our integration with both the Maudsley and King’s College Hospital facilitates the study of a wide range of illnesses, including mental health conditions, brain disorders, and liver, kidney and chest diseases. 

Our work has already had impact across the NHS, and the investment announced today will allow us to build on this, providing real hope for patients across the NHS.

The funding, announced today (Friday 18 November) as part of a renewed nationwide investment in CRFs, will allow both centres to continue providing support for experimental medicine across our hospitals until at least 2021.

The new NIHR CRF awards come in the wake of more than £130 million funding awarded to the Biomedical Research Centres at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts and their academic partner, King’s College London, to continue their ground-breaking research into innovative new treatments for patients over the next five years.

Guy’s and St Thomas’, South London and Maudsley and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. The partnership, which also includes King’s College London, uses the latest scientific discoveries to improve physical and mental healthcare for people in south east London.

Professor Sir Robert Lechler, Executive Director of King's Health Partners said:

Following the recent funding annoucement for our Biomedical Research Centres, this is further evidence of the impact our partnership's research is having on improving patient care. This funding will allow our Clincal Research Facililities to continue their pioneering work to develop innovative and new treatments based on the latest scientific evidence.