Northwick Park hospital opens new research facility for medical trials
Research manager Sunder Chita and Fiona Makia in the new high-tech research facility - Credit: LNWH
Northwick Park Hospital has opened a new five-bed facility dedicated to further its work as one of the leading research centres in the UK.
The Watford Road hospital is currently involved in more than 150 studies a year testing the safety and effectiveness of new treatments on volunteers before they are approved for the market place.
Its work also includes health service research looking at how social factors and technologies affect how people can access healthcare.
The new state-of- the-art Clinical Research Facility (CRF) offers a five-bed patient treatment area along with capacity for a further three beds.
The rooms are fully equipped to deliver clinical trials in a safe environment and have access to a dedicated sample preparation and processing lab.
London North West Hospital NHS Trust (LNWH) research and development department was the second largest recruiter of volunteers in north west London in 2020/21 and has secured more than 8,000 participants into research studies.
This includes playing a leading role in delivering Covid-19 vaccine trials and urgent public health studies during the pandemic.
Divya Chadha Manek, who lives in Harrow, joined the Sanofi Covid vaccine trial at the beginning of October.
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The 36 year-old said:“ It’s really easy to join and the research team have looked after me. I got my Sanofi booster, which has yet to be approved for general use, at the beginning of the trial, and have since been closely monitored with regular blood pressure checks and blood tests.
“I’d encourage others to find out what research is going on at the centre and consider volunteering for clinical research which helps improve patients’ lives."
Research manager Sunder Chita added: “Clinical research provides answers to whether particular treatments are safe and how they help work when given to patients.
“The hospital has long history of research and the new facility provides our diverse population with an opportunity to help find solutions to future treatments. We’re keen this is preserved for future generations of the NHS.”
Research covers more than 15 specialties ranging from infectious diseases and cardiology to genetics, diabetes and neurology.
The CRF is encouraging other specialties to become ‘research active’ to provide greater support to the health of local communities.
