Future of UK’s health research at risk, says Academy of Medical Sciences

The report, entitled: ‘Future-proofing UK Health Research: a people-centred, coordinated approach’, details key threats to UK health research and the steps needed to protect it.

Health research saves and improves lives, for example by producing world-renowned breakthroughs such as sequencing the human genome and developing life-saving vaccines. It also drives the economy; every £1 of public investment in medical research delivers a return equivalent to around 25p each year, forever.

To secure a sustainable future for research and deliver maximum health benefits for people everywhere, the report calls for coordinated action. This involves Governments across the UK, public and charitable funders, higher education institutions, industry, NHS leaders, patients, carers, and the public. It concludes that UK health research is in danger of being taken for granted and sets out what needs to be done to improve and future-proof it.

The report was produced by 30 experts from across the UK, including established and emerging research leaders, patients, carers and representatives from the public, private and charitable sectors. Chaired by Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow FMedSci and Professor Sir Peter Mathieson FRSE FMedSci, the group analysed the strengths in the health research system and identified factors which threaten the UK’s ability to deliver health and economic benefits in the long term.

The report’s key findings are:

• We must place people at the heart of the UK health research system. Research culture and career structures can be narrow, inflexible, precarious and exclusive, undermining the ability of diverse individuals, including patients, and those with broad expertise to fully explore their potential and deliver innovations
• We must maximise the research potential of the NHS, which currently struggles to make health research part of the norm
• We must ensure that the true cost of excellent health research is adequately covered, to address a funding model which relies on cross-subsidy from international students as the total cost of research in universities is not covered by any funder
• We must ensure talented people can develop careers that span sectors to address a lack of movement of researchers between roles in public, private and charitable research sectors.

Professor Sir Peter Mathieson FRSE FMedSci, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and co-Chair of the report, said: “Our report is a wake-up call. Despite the weighty evidence of the value excellent health research brings to society, we risk losing the benefits. At a time where we face health challenges such as pandemics and climate change, we cannot be complacent. This report is as much directed at me as it is at NHS boardrooms and industry leaders: there are actions I will be taking, as Principal of the University of Edinburgh and lead member for Health for Universities Scotland.”

To address the threats to the health research system, the report details a range of solutions with actions for organisations across the sector.

To capitalise on the potential within our over-burdened healthcare system, NHS bodies across the UK must make research a core part of their business plan, and an essential part of clinical care. Recent reports show the number of patients taking part in industry-backed clinical trials has fallen by 44% between 2017/18 and 2021/223. The NHS, regulators, funders and universities should work together to support clinical academics (doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who conduct research). This should include improving the support for our clinical academics and piloting a scheme where healthcare professionals have protected time for research.

Professor Dame Anne Johnson PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “A thriving research sector demands a varied and collaborative workforce where leaders of the future are nurtured and encouraged to realise their curiosity and ambition for research and innovation. With a coordinated effort, the UK’s health research system will flourish and overcome the threats to it, but only if everyone takes charge of the areas they have the power to future-proof. Over the next six months, the Academy of Medical Sciences will bring together leaders across Governments, funders, universities, industry and the NHS to plan how to implement the findings of this report to secure a prosperous health research system.”