The government yesterday announced 200m of additional funding for NHS-led health research into diagnosis and treatment as well as a further 60m to facilitate the expansion of life sciences manufacturing in the UK.
The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, and the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, George Freeman.
Access to data will be a key focus of the additional research and diagnosis funding, with the 200m enabling researchers to better obtain NHS data through Trusted Research Environments and digital clinical trial services. This builds upon government commitments set out in the Life Sciences Vision.
This broadening of access to NHS data should result in clinical trials that are quicker and easier to set up, as evidenced by the RECOVERY trial in which NHS data was used to discover the world's first proven treatment for COVID-10 in just 100 days.
Crucially, safeguards will ensure that such digital and data initiatives do not come at the cost of data privacy or security.
Furthermore, the 60m of new funding for life sciences manufacturing is to be distributed through a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. This builds upon the success of the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund and is part of the government's commitment of 354m to the life sciences sector through its Global Britain Investment Fund.
Beyond improving our ability to respond to future pandemics, it is hoped that the initiative will encourage companies to use new technologies, expand their facilities throughout the country, and create high-skilled and well-paid jobs.
To find out more about the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, please click here. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact Rory Daniels, Programme Manager at techUK: rory.daniels@techuk.org.