How are the NIHR Clinical Research Networks supporting clinical research?

Running a clinical trial is a complex process requiring input from a multidisciplinary team with relevant expertise, for example statisticians, trial managers and doctors. 

 

Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) are specialist units which have been set up with a specific remit to design, conduct and analyse multi-centre clinical trials. They have the capability to provide specialist expert statistical, epidemiological and other methodological advice and coordination to undertake successful clinical trials, as well as having additional expertise to coordinate trials involving medicinal products which have to be conducted within the UK Regulations the laws governing the conduct of clinical trials resulting from the EU Directive for Clinical Trials.

 

NIHR CRN CC is keen to ensure that those organisations responsible for coordinating NIHR CRN CC studies are supported and integrated with NIHR CRN CC and its activities.

In particular, NIHR CRN CC wishes to ensure that those organisations coordinating NIHR CRN CC multi-centre clinical trials are adequately resourced, in terms of access to expert staff and experience of coordinating such trials to high standards. It is also important to ensure that the research community has access to sufficient high quality CTU expertise, i.e. that there is sufficient national capacity to develop and manage the increasing numbers of trials that will result from the activities of UKCRC and NIHR CRN CC.

 

CTUs are therefore a vital component of UKCRC and NIHR CRN CC. To reflect this, UKCRC have developed a registration process which recognises CTUs capable of centrally coordinating multi-centre trials to the highest standards. More information about the UKCRC CTU Registration Process and current Registered CTUs can be found on the NIHR CRN CC website.