New £1.4m facility to boost healthcare in North Devon

The Royal Devon has secured £1.4 million in funding to construct a cutting-edge clinical research facility at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple. 

This makes the Royal Devon one of only 30 NHS Trusts in the UK to receive such funding.

Set to be the first dedicated clinical research facility in North Devon, this hub will significantly boost the range and complexity of research studies the Trust can undertake.

It will focus on important areas, including specialized heart studies and trials addressing common health issues such as lower back pain, joint problems, and osteoarthritis; conditions that greatly impact patients' independence and overall quality of life.

Sam Higginson, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive the funding to be able to build this facility for people in North Devon. We have an ambitious research culture and see clinical research as essential and transformational in ensuring our communities have access to the best care.

“The facility will also help us attract great clinicians at every stage of their careers who want to be involved in research.”

Royal Devon has said that it has developed a strong reputation as a hub for leading-edge research, with North Devon District Hospital already recognised as a national centre of excellence for abdominal wall surgery. 

This new project aligns with other initiatives like the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and the upcoming NIHR HealthTech Research Centre, in partnership with the University of Exeter.

Professor Helen Quinn, Director of Research and Development at the Royal Devon, said:

“This is fantastic news for the North Devon population. We know patients who are treated in research active hospitals have better health outcomes, whether they are taking part in a study or not. 

“This new centre will ensure we can expand the number of research studies we can deliver in North Devon which will empower us to tackle health inequalities specific to our region, including multiple long-term conditions that disproportionately affect the local population.”

The new facility is made possible through a successful funding application to the NIHR, following a £30 million initiative announced by the Department of Health and Social Care to support 36 Trusts in the UK, reinforcing the country’s commitment to becoming a leader in clinical research.

This development aligns with the Royal Devon’s vision to create a future-ready hospital in North Devon, as part of the Our Future Hospital programme.

Next, the Trust's teams will collaborate with patients and other key stakeholders to start planning the construction of this facility. 

For updates on the project and to learn more about advancements in clinical research at the Royal Devon, visit the Trust's website and follow them on social media.