New figures show more people than ever taking part in research in the West Midlands

70,739 participants took part in research in the region in last year.

All 25 NHS Trusts in the region recruited to studies.

More than 6,000 of them were recruited to commercial studies, more than double the figure for the previous year.

The CRN has helped recruit more than 5.4m participants during the past five years with more than 400,000 of these coming from the West Midlands.

Over the last year, a total of 1,045,282 participants across England took part in health and care research. This is the fourth year in a row that around a million participants have been involved in research supported by the NIHR CRN.

Nationally, one in four people who participated in research in England in 2023-24 were recruited via primary care, including GP practices and care homes, according to the NIHR.

Dr David Shukla, Deputy Clinical Director and Lead for Primary Care Research at the Clinical Research Network West Midlands said: “We have been working hard to increase the number of GP practices recruiting to clinical trials as it has benefits to both participants and practices. With patients being known to the staff leading the study, they already have a level of trust with the practice.

“Staff are quickly able to screen those who are eligible for a trial and it also means patients can have treatments that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access. We have increased the number of research active practices by 33 per cent year on year.”

Participation figures continue to exceed pre-pandemic levels both nationally and regionally.

The data relates to the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) Portfolio studies. It shows that almost 60 per cent of all GP practices (3,606) in England took part in CRN-supported research in 2023-24. This is a 12 percentage point increase compared to the previous year.

A total of 270,538 participants recruited to research came via primary care - 26 per cent of the total number of participants recruited to research in England in 2023-24.

Care homes also played an active part in research. Last year 11 per cent of care homes in England (210) took part in research that will improve adult social care, including studies on isolation for residents with sight loss.

This means more people than ever had the opportunity to take part in research and access new treatments and healthcare practices right on their doorstep.

Executive Director of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN), John Sitzia, said: “Our annual data shows health and care research is becoming more embedded in communities. This enables people from a variety of backgrounds to get involved and ensures everyone can access new treatments and healthcare practices through participation in research.

“Whether it’s taking part in a drug trial at a local hospital or completing an online survey, every contribution helps improve health and wellbeing in the UK and beyond. So we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in a health and care study last year. I hope that everyone who participated feels a sense of pride for their contribution.”

Everyone can take part in research, whether they have a health condition or not. Be Part of Research Service helps people to easily find and take part in studies across the UK.

Find a study or register to take part in research in the West Midlands at: bepartofresearch.uk.

By Claire Hall - Contributor