48% increase in clinical research participants at GOSH

The number of people taking part in research trials at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has increased by 48 per cent, according to figures released this week by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).The 2017/18 statistics show that GOSH recruited 4009 participants to 138 studies, placing the hospital 41^st out of 450 Trusts in the UK, and amongst the most research-active acute specialist NHS Trusts. Of the 138 active studies at GOSH, 32 of these were supported by commercial sources.

The 48 per cent increase was partly due to recruitment of GOSH families to the 100,000 Genomes Project, a pioneering venture that aims to sequence 100,000 genomes from around 70,000 people to help doctors better understand, and ultimately treat, rare and inherited diseases and various cancers. Earlier this year the project reached the half-way mark at which point an impressive 1492 GOSH families had taken part.

Many clinical trials at GOSH are intensive early phase studies that aim to translate the discoveries made in the laboratory into innovative ways to diagnose and treat children with some of the rarest and most complex childhood conditions.

Emma Pendleton, Deputy Director of Research and Innovation at GOSH, said, “The latest figures reflect our involvement in the 100,000 Genomes Project as well as the many other research studies that take place across the spectrum of clinical specialities of GOSH. 2017/18 has been another fantastic year for clinical research at GOSH and we are really pleased to be able to offer even more GOSH families the opportunity to take part in research studies with the potential to benefit their own condition., as well as other children around the world.

This year’s figures, which cover the twelve month period between April 2017 to March 2018, show that across the UK a record breaking 725,333 people participated in NIHR-supported clinical research studies last year, the highest number since records began and an 8.8 % increase on last year.

The League Table figures include projects supported by the NIHR North Thames Clinical Research Network, a prestigious network that supports research across the NHS. GOSH also runs many other research projects from basic science to late phase clinical trials. The figures shows that health research is thriving in the North Thames region of which GOSH is part, showing that NHS trusts across the area continue to be seen as a world leading place to deliver high quality clinical trials.

More details are available from the NIHR.