NIHR awards £47.8m for NHS equipment to boost clinical trials

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded £47.8 million to pay for equipment to help streamline the delivery of clinical trials.

The funding will provide essential equipment, from diagnostic kit such as spirometers and electrocardiogram (ECG) machines to high-tech scanners and mobile research vans, to 51 NHS trusts and 79 primary care organisations across England.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, health innovation and safety minister, said: “As a practising surgeon, I know first‑hand the difference access to innovation can make – and this investment will strengthen the NHS’s ability to deliver groundbreaking clinical trials – not just in hospitals, but crucially in communities across the country.

“For too long, access to innovative treatments has been unequal. By targeting primary care, we are changing that – giving patients everywhere the chance to benefit from the latest medical breakthroughs on their doorstep, regardless of where they live or their background.

“This is how we will build an NHS fit for the future, keep the UK at the cutting-edge of global life sciences, and drive the economic growth our country needs.”

Organisations eligible to apply for the awards included NHS trusts, primary care networks, integrated care boards, GP practices, GP federations, and community interest companies providing NHS primary care.

Primary care organisations secured 60% of all successful awards to bring commercial clinical trials directly to local communities.

Funded equipment and refurbishments include mobile research vans equipped for screening and diagnostics to increase patient recruitment and reduce geographic inequalities in locations such as Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

The NIHR’s award also covers diagnostic infrastructure including fibroscanners, Accuvein scanners and ultrasound scanners to address imaging needs for trial set-up and delivery.

Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and chief executive at the NIHR, said: “This significant investment will provide the NHS with the high-quality equipment and facilities it needs to deliver cutting-edge commercial research that benefits the public.

“With more than half of the funding this time going to primary care providers, the NIHR is once again showing its commitment to shifting research out of hospitals and into local communities, giving patients direct access to innovative treatments, and making it easier for everyone to take part in research.

“This helps to make research more equitable, enhances the UK’s reputation for delivering world-class commercial research, and helps position the country as an attractive place for companies to invest.”

The award is funded by a partnership between the government and the pharmaceutical industry, called the Voluntary Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme.

It is part of the government’s ambition to speed up clinical trials and enable patients to join trials sooner, as set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, published on 16 July 2025.