The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) has welcomed the publication of the Government’s new research strategy.
Saving and improving lives: the future of UK clinical research delivery sets out plans to strengthen the UK’s renowned expertise as a world-leader in designing and delivering medical and scientific research. It is built around the following five key themes:
- Clinical research embedded in the NHS: to create a research-positive culture in which all health and care staff feel empowered to support and participate in clinical research as part of their job.
- Patient-centred research: to make access and participation in research as easy as possible for everyone across the UK, including rural, diverse and under-served populations.
- Streamlined, efficient and innovative research: so the UK is seen as the best place in the world to conduct fast, efficient and cutting-edge clinical research.
- Research enabled by data and digital tools: to ensure the UK has the most advanced and data-enabled clinical research environment in the world, building on our unique data assets to improve health and care.
- A sustainable and supported research workforce: which offers rewarding opportunities and exciting careers for all healthcare and research staff of all professional backgrounds – across both commercial and non-commercial research.
Launch of the UK-wide vision will be followed by implementation plans and strategies setting out how the UK government and devolved administrations will begin to deliver the vision during 2021/2022.
Commenting on the plans, BIVDA Chief Executive Doris-Ann Williams said: “The new research strategy sets out an ambitious plan for further improving our world-leading research base. This will lead to rapid tests and treatments, including advanced diagnostics, reaching patients more quickly, saving lives.
“In our recent submissions to the Budget and No.10’s Innovation Taskforce, BIVDA called for investment in our research infrastructure and we are particularly pleased to see the emphasis on building a well-supported workforce which is critical in scaling up our innovation abilities. We urgently need more people taking up careers in the research field, and this plan will help to achieve it.”