The UK government is launching an ambitious plan to expand clinical trials nationwide, with the NHS app playing a central role in recruiting millions of participants. Patients in England will receive smartphone notifications about relevant studies, while hospitals will face incentives or public scrutiny based on trial performance.
Under the new system, the NHS app will analyze patient health records and automatically suggest suitable clinical trials. Notifications will direct users to studies aligned with their conditions or interests. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will oversee the platform, allowing patients to browse and enroll in trials directly.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the app the “digital front door” to NHS research, citing public willingness during COVID-19 vaccine trials. “Why not harness that spirit to tackle cancer and dementia next?” he said.
The strategy, part of a 10-year health plan, aims to slash bureaucratic delays. Currently, NHS trials take 250 days to launch far longer than Spain’s 100-day average. The government wants this reduced to 150 days by 2026.
Hospitals missing recruitment targets will be named publicly, while top performers gain funding priority. Officials hope these changes will lure pharmaceutical companies back to the UK, where industry-sponsored trials dropped 38% since 2018.
The NIHR is actively recruiting underrepresented groups, including Black and South Asian communities, to improve trial inclusivity. While NHS studies don’t pay volunteers, commercial trials often offer compensation.
Critics warn that NHS pressures and red tape have driven research abroad. Wellcome Trust CEO John-Arne Røttingen previously cautioned that drug firms may “go elsewhere” without urgent reforms. Now, ministers bet that streamlined processes and millions of app users can restore the UK’s clinical trialsdominance.
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