News

Call for UK Clinical Research Collaboration Clinical Trials Unit Registration

20 January 2012

The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Registered Clinical Trials Units (CTU) Network invites its 48 currently registered clinical trials units to apply for review of their registration status and invites new applications from previously unregistered Units to undergo the Registration Process, which is designed to help improve the quality of available expertise to carry out clinical trials in the UK. Leading the review is an International Panel of leading world experts in clinical trials.

Clinical Trials Units are specialist units that bring together the expertise needed to undertake a clinical trial or other well designed study. Running a study is a complex process. Registered Units are those that are considered to have the expertise to design, coordinate and analyse multi‐centre clinical trials or other well designed studies, ensuring that they are conducted in line with appropriate standards and regulations.

To be eligible to apply, Units have to demonstrate they are capable of centrally coordinating multi-centre clinical trials and other well designed studies. This includes showing appropriate expertise in the design, conduct, data management, publicity, analysis and reporting of a study.

Professor Dame Sally C. Davies, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health said:
"Clinical trials are essential for testing treatments and ensuring we have the best possible evidence so that NHS patients receive high quality care. Clinical Trials Units are central to the work of expanding health research in this country and delivering high quality research projects. The current activity being undertaken by the UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Units (CTU) Network to further develop unit quality and activities is especially welcomed and will help ensure that the units are capable of delivering the high-standard required."

Application Forms and further information is available at www.ukcrc-ctu.org.uk.

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For further information contact:

Saeeda Bashir
Network Coordinator, University of Leeds,
Tel: 0113 3439132
Email: S.M.Bashir@leeds.ac.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Clinical Trials Units are required to meet a number of key competencies, which are assessed against detailed evaluation criteria and reviewed by an international panel. These include a track record of experience in coordinating multi‐centre clinical trials, presence of expert staff and robust quality assurance systems, and evidence of long term viability of capacity for trials coordination. Clinical Trials Units that meet all these criteria will receive Full Registration. Those that are clearly working towards developing sufficient expertise to enable Full Registration but which do not yet meet all the criteria relating to infrastructure, resources and experience will receive Provisional Registration.

Further information on the UKCRC Clinical Trials Unit Registration Process is available at www.ukcrc-ctu.org.uk.

2. A list of all currently registered clinical trials units is available at www.ukcrc-ctu.org.uk.

3. The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC), established in 2004, is a partnership of organisations working together to establish the UK as a world leader in clinical research by harnessing the potential of the NHS. The Partners include the key stakeholders that shape the health research environment, including research funders, the NHS, government, industry, academia, regulators, charities and patients. Detailed information on UKCRC activities can be found on the UKCRC website at www.ukcrc.org.

4. The UKCRC Clinical Trials Network is coordinated from the University of Leeds.