By Lucy Ashton
The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Clinical Research Facility is more than ready to mark #Red4Research2023 today.
Staff across NHSGGC have been wearing red to support the amazing work of all those participating, supporting, and undertaking research.
#Red4Research celebrates the phenomenal work of the R&I teams within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and beyond. There are currently around 1,040 research studies happening across NHSGGC across a wide range of specialties, with 402 new projects starting in the last year as post-pandemic activity increases, with teams offering opportunities for patients to take part in trials involving novel medicines, technologies and devices.
The multidisciplinary research teams, working tirelessly, include office-based, bio repository, safe haven and front-line staff such as medics, pharmacists, radiographers, research nurses, midwives, health care support workers, project managers, project assistants and education and quality assurance professionals.
Bringing their unique skills and experience to every trial, our team play a crucial role in initiating, delivering and overseeing the conduct of studies which have led to improved outcomes, reducing and improving mortality rates.
Glasgow Clinical Research Facility supports a wide-ranging portfolio of studies ranging from complex early phase or novel technique experimental medicine to large population based public health initiatives across NHS GG&C.
The CRF uses state-of-the-art facilities at sites across the city, including in-patient beds, clinical trial pharmacy, laboratory and bio-repository storage facilities with a specialised multidisciplinary team who support cutting-edge patient centred research.
Each area provides high-quality clinical spaces and outreach services where patients and healthy volunteers can take part in international clinical research studies, providing the opportunity to participate in high quality research and access to the latest treatment modalities and medicines.
Lynn Prentice, Clinical Research Manager at the Glasgow Clinical Research Facility, said: “Red 4 Research Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the phenomenal research work which has and is being undertaken within NHSGGC, thanking all the individuals who make this possible.
“Patient-centred care remains at the heart of our work, and we continually look at ways to offer the most advanced and latest treatments and medicines to those who need them most, having a dedicated research team and purpose-built facilities allows us to take forward studies across a range of conditions.”
“Not only are we grateful to our amazing team for all their hard work, but we are also really grateful for the contribution our patients make to improving health care, science and services by taking part in these important trials.”
Professor Julie Brittenden, NHSGGC Director of Research and Innovation, said: “It is well recognized that investment in clinical research and innovation leads to improved quality of care, better outcomes and more cost-effective treatments”
“We are grateful to the dedicated multidisciplinary research & innovation teams who work tirelessly to ensure that patients are offered the opportunity to take part in high quality research and access state of the art therapeutics, devices and new models of service delivery. We would also like to thank all those who have taken part in research”
Dr Jennifer Armstrong, NHSGGC Medical Director, added: “Today not only offers an opportunity for the various teams who carry out research to rightly celebrate what they do, but also allows all of us to recognise their contribution to how we as an organisation make sure we are able to offer a healthcare service fit for today and for the future,”
The #Red4Research campaign, which began in 2020, has been supported by researchers in Australia, Chile, China, India, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, USA as well as the UK.
Tonight, the Queen Elizabeth Building will be lit red in recognition of all those participating in research.
You can keep up to date with all the work of the CRF by following them on Twitter at @GlasgowCRF.