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Nottingham has won funding for three prestigious medical research units it was announced today — making it the only city in the UK to score a hat-trick of successful bids.
The city’s reputation as a leader in ground-breaking medical research and pioneering treatments for patients has been underlined after winning a total of £11m to be channelled into improving patient care.
In April, it was announced that The University of Nottingham and the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) had been successful in securing £7.5m for two Biomedical Research Units (BRU) to advance world-class research into hearing services in partnership with the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research and to build on research into lung disease, cystic fibrosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Now, the city has been awarded a further £3.5m for a third BRU — with The University of Nottingham and the NUH being the only organisations in the country to receive such an accolade. It is hoped the partnership will also attract an additional £2m in capital investment as part of the grant.
The grant will be used to speed up the translation of research findings for stomach, bowel and liver disease — including hospital superbugs such as Clostridium difficile and MRSA — into new treatments.
Nottingham already has an international reputation for research into stomach, bowel and liver disease. The new BRU will build on this expertise, by focusing on healthcare associated infections such as Clostridium difficle and MRSA. There will also be extensive research into many other areas, including the Hepatitis C virus and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
John Atherton, Professor of Gastroenterology in the School of Medical and Surgical Sciences said: “The research we perform in the BRU will help in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with bowel and liver problems really quite quickly. We are particularly excited about our research programme into the hospital “superbugs” Clostridium difficile and MRSA. Nottingham is one of the top places in the country for research and clinical management in bowel and liver disease. The award of the BRU is great news for patients, doctors and researchers in Nottingham and the East Midlands.”
The BRUs are funded by the Department of Health’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), focusing on translational research into these medical conditions.
Dr Guru Aithal, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Deputy Director of the Digestive Diseases Directorate at Nottingham University Hospitals said: “This funding will allow the development of a new Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, co-located with the BRU which means all clinical and basic research will be carried out by experts under one roof. BRU will be a catalyst to our aspiration to be the Centre of Excellence.”
Dr Peter Homa, Chief Executive of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Winning this additional funding will allow us to build upon the close and well-established partnership we already have with The University of Nottingham. This partnership will help us to take research in these vital areas, including respiratory, hearing, stomach and liver disease to directly benefit patients in Nottingham, the UK and beyond, potentially transforming the lives of millions of patients in future years.”
Earlier this month in a separate announcement The University of Nottingham, NUH and Nottinghamshire County Primary Care Trust secured an additional £11.5m of funding for three programme grants from the NIHR. This research will focus on the prevention of accidental injuries in pre-school children, developing and evaluating services for frail older people and the treatment of disfiguring and mutilating skin diseases.
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Notes to Editors
: The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 70 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings.
It provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's "only truly global university", it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia.
Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation — School of Pharmacy).
Its students are much in demand from 'blue-chip' employers. Winners of Students in Free Enterprise for four years in succession, and current holder of UK Graduate of the Year, they are accomplished artists, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, innovators and fundraisers. Nottingham graduates consistently excel in business, the media, the arts and sport. Undergraduate and postgraduate degree completion rates are amongst the highest in the United Kingdom.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust was named one of the top five teaching Trusts in the UK in the 2007 ‘Good Hospital Guide’ by health information specialist Dr Foster. The guide says that among the key factors of this success were strong partnership working and high quality information. The full guide can be read at http://www.drfoster.co.uk/library/reports/hospitalGuide2007.pdf
NUH is one of the largest Trusts in the UK, with an annual budget of more than £630 million. It was formed on 1 April 2006, when two top-rated trusts — Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital — merged in order to develop a range of high-quality, sustainable patient services across the two campuses.
As a major teaching Trust, NUH enjoys close links with the city's universities and attracts and develops the highest calibre of staff. It continues to be the hospital of choice for patients, encourage investment and remain at the forefront of research.