The North Midlands Commercial Research Delivery Centre
What is a CRDC?
Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) were established in April 2025 to boost the speed, efficiency, and accessibility of commercial clinical research in the UK, strengthening the nation’s global competitiveness in life sciences while improving health outcomes. There are 21 CRDCs across the UK, 15 managed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England, alongside four in Scotland and one in Wales and Northern Ireland.
In December 2024 it was announced that UHNM will receive £3.1 million in government funding to help accelerate medical research and provide cutting-edge technology and equipment to support the testing of innovative treatments, offering patients greater access to treatments still in trial phases through the establishment of the North Midlands CRDC.
The North Midlands CRDC
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) is home to a dedicated Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC), working with industry partners to deliver high-quality commercial studies.
This centre strengthens our reputation as a research-active Trust and brings cutting-edge treatments to our patients faster.
What will the North Midlands CRDC do?
- Expand access for people across the North Midlands to take part in important research that advances healthcare
- Bring clinical trials beyond large hospital trusts into community settings, improving access for underserved areas
- Support more GP practices to become research active, making trials more accessible close to home
- Increase opportunities to participate in clinical trials, including those for mental health conditions
- Work with our Research Engagement Network to strengthen local community links and improve the diversity of recruitment
- Broaden the range of research to include trials for both healthy volunteers and patients, increasing access to innovative treatments and interventions
- Provide access to a network of commercially active sites with gold-standard set-up times and performance
- Develop our commercial research delivery workforce
- Build partnerships with industry, driving inward investment into the North Midlands and across the UK
Our Strategic Objectives
Inclusion
We aim to strengthen research awareness and engagement across the local community through peer researchers, targeted outreach and inclusive community activities. A core objective is to ensure that clinical research is fully embedded within the NHS. We are also committed to increasing participation in commercial research, with a strong emphasis on equitable access for all protected characteristics both the development of research capacity and opportunities for research participation.
Streamline and Efficient
One of the CRDC’s strategic objectives is to enhance the commercial study set-up pathway through innovative approaches, removing unnecessary barriers while maintaining the highest quality standards. Working collaboratively with our local NHS networks, we will share best practice and learn from each other’s achievements to support continuous improvement.
Systems
A patient-centred research system will ensure that research opportunities are accessible to all segments of the population. As UHNM operates within an integrated care system, the CRDC will establish a platform that facilitates meaningful dialogue between charities, industry partners, health and care providers, and patients and the public. This will be achieved through our Cross-Sector Partners Board, which will oversee the prioritisation of work packages.
The Cross-Sector Partners Board will also provide governance for the distribution of financial resources across the system, supporting growth, sustainability, and collaborative decision-making. In addition, the CRDC will work strategically alongside the Community Diagnostics Centre to further strengthen integration and support research delivery across the region.
Capacity Building
We are committed to developing a sustainable and well-supported research workforce across the NHS. University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust's (UHNM) Centre for Research and Education Excellence (CeNREE) is dedicated to creating an environment in which researchers, practitioners, and learners can thrive, enabling them to deliver the best possible improvements in clinical outcomes and experiences for both staff and patients.
Our aim is to increase participation in research among both patients and staff, and to expand opportunities for colleagues across all professions to lead research and pursue academic and professional development through Master’s and Doctoral programmes.
Transparency and Accountability
The CRDC strategy aims to enhance transparency and strengthen data integrity across all commercial research, with a focus on leveraging data and digital tools to enable research excellence.
Our governance framework ensures that all CRDC management processes have clear, achievable targets, overseen through a collaborative, multi-professional structure.