TO BE PUBLISHED March 2025
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This conference focuses on next steps for clinical research in the UK.
With new regulation from the MHRA put before Parliament aimed at reforming the UK’s clinical trials framework, sessions will discuss the pathway for implementation of aims for increasing patient involvement and empowerment and improving safety, as well as transparency, accessibility, and adherence to good clinical practice, alongside removing barriers to innovation.
It will also be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to look ahead to priorities for the forthcoming Spending Review in June, and the effective utilisation of R&D funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 to boost clinical trials in the UK. Delegates will examine practical steps for the development of the 20 new clinical trial hubs funded by £100m of public-private investment.
With integration of research into clinical care cited as central to the 10-Year Health Plan, areas for discussion in the conference include approaches for increasing patient participation and public trust, innovation and use of data, and growing the involvement of health professionals and wider stakeholder groups in innovation.
We also expect discussion on progress following the Lord O’Shaughnessy Review on Commercial clinical trials in the UK, the way forward for prioritising clinical research in the NHS, improving use of metrics including the impact of UK performance indicators on trial prioritisation, and utilising innovative methods to delivering clinical trials.
Delegates will assess approaches to streamlining the clinical research pathway, including flexible sample sizes and treatment doses, and the way forward for effective use of technology, looking at AI and VR, and best practice for sharing real-world data across different bodies. We expect discussion to bring out latest thinking on strategies for increasing patient participation, accessibility and diversity, such as implementation of decentralised clinical trials, involvement in trial design, workforce training on varying patient needs, and developing agile research teams and research outside hospitals.
Regulatory and market developments impacting research-based businesses and institutions involved in clinical research will be discussed, along with latest thinking on strategic options for making the UK more attractive for life science investment, and for international workforce recruitment.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Dr Kingyin Lee, Head, Clinical Trials, MHRA; Prof Andrew Ustianowski, Interim National Executive Director, RDN National Coordinating Centre, NIHR Research Delivery Network; and a senior speaker confirmed from HRA.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- UK clinical trials: adhering to good clinical practice - supporting innovative approaches to delivery - ways forward for creating new clinical trials hubs - priorities for developing infrastructure
- funding utilisation: effective utilisation of funding announced in the Budget - priorities for Commercial Research Delivery Centres - clinical research infrastructure - inclusive research
- policy priorities: driving UK leadership in clinical research - the role of clinical research in shifting care from treatment to prevention as part of the 10-Year Health Plan
- regulatory standards: implementation of new regulation by January 2026 - new frameworks for driving innovation - creating clear standards for conducting clinical trials - MHRA resourcing
- research pathways: streamlining and maximising flexibility - access to the latest equipment and technology
- collaborative frameworks: priorities for effective data-sharing between bodies - developing ethical best practice for innovative trial delivery
- diversity and accessibility:
- increasing patient participation - trust in research trials - transparency - engagement in trial design and delivery
- decentralised clinical trials and tailoring recruitment - identifying and catering for varying patient needs
- innovation: developing new approaches to delivery - harnessing AI and emerging technologies - tackling obstacles to innovation - protecting patient safety - the role of digitalisation in improving access
- global outreach: next steps for furthering the UK as an attractive location for life sciences investment - priorities for international workforce recruitment and retention
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DHSC; MHRA; OLS; UKHSA; Defra; and the Welsh Government.
