Mobile unit takes clinical research to local communities

A state-of-the-art mobile research unit will take to the roads of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, making it easier for people to take part in research opportunities and clinical trials.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has teamed up with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) East Midlands and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to provide a mobile research unit (MRU) to take research out into local communities.

The van, which is fully accessible and equipped with patient treatment and waiting areas, will attend events to promote health and research and give patients the opportunity to take part in relevant studies.

It will be easier for patients to sign up to and remain on research trials as they won’t need to travel to dedicated research facilities at King’s Mill Hospital or a local GP practice.

Alison Steel, Head of Research and Innovation at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “The mobile research unit will help us to make research more visible and accessible to everyone, particularly those who might have difficulty accessing healthcare.

“Research is vital to improving healthcare because it helps us to understand what treatments and interventions work and what doesn’t. We look forward to meeting lots of people and sharing research opportunities as we go out and about in the local area.”

Sherwood Forest Hospitals undertakes a wide variety of research, for example, screening for undiagnosed liver disease and treatment for high cholesterol.

The Research and Innovation (R&I) team cares for patients taking part in research trials in more than 25 areas, including Respiratory, Oncology and Rheumatology, dementia and ageing. The Trust plans to build on this work by expanding studies into areas not previously involved in research.

Elizabeth Moss, Network Director at National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) East Midlands, said: “We are committed to supporting the inclusive delivery of research across the region and are proud to support this exciting new mobile research unit, which will enable more patients to access ground-breaking research. Sherwood Forest Hospitals' continued commitment and collaborative working across systems will continue to drive research opportunities and engagement within their local communities. We look forward to seeing where their mobile research unit will take them next!”

In 2023, the Trust became the first Trust in the Midlands region to achieve accreditation from IAOCR (the International Accrediting Organisation for Clinical Research). Achieving bronze standard of the globally-recognised accreditation shows that Sherwood Forest Hospitals is consistently working to industry-leading global standards of best practice.

Look out for the mobile research unit across the Trust’s three hospital sites and in the local area. The R&I team is looking forward to meeting people, talking about the research SFH is doing and how you could get involved.

To learn more about how Sherwood Forest Hospitals can support clinical trials, please email sfh-tr.researchandinnovation@nhs.net.

If you are a service user you can talk to your clinical care team about the potential of getting involved in a research trial.

Image features members of SFH Research team with Acting Chief Executive David Selwyn (third from right), Chief Nurse Phil Bolton (second from right), Chief Financial Officer Richard Mills (fourth from left), Chief Medical Officer Simon Roe (first right) and Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Associate Non-Executive Director for research and innovation (fourth from right).