The NIHR HRC-DDR is hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB). UHB hosts numerous infrastructures that provide multiple opportunities for collaboration across the life science sector. More information about UHB and local infrastructures is available below.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
UHB is the third-largest organisation in the NHS and serves the people of Birmingham, Solihull, South Staffordshire and the West Midlands. At the heart of our trust are our organisational values:
- Kind – showing kindness to each other, and to our patients and visitors, every day.
- Connected – building connections with everyone around us.
- Bold – always aiming to be bold in how we think, speak and act.
NIHR Birmingham Clinical Research Facility (CRF)
The CRF provides a high-quality clinical environment where volunteers and patients of all ages can take part in experimental and early phase clinical research. Its adult facilities are based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and paediatric services are delivered at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Both sites are purpose-built, dedicated units where patients can take part in research programmes safely, according to robust, ethically approved trial protocols. The CRF is multi-speciality and works closely with clinicians and academics from many different fields and disciplines.
NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
The BRC translates new scientific discoveries into treatments and diagnostics for patients, with focus on inflammation and the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of its associated long-term diseases. The BRC test and deliver new treatments for these diseases, most of which have no cure or treatments to improve quality of life. Thanks to the West Midlands’ uniquely diverse population, research is relevant on a local, national and global scale.
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands (ARC WM)
ARC WM aims to create effective partnerships across health and social care organisations and universities (Birmingham, Keele and Warwick) to improve care services across the West Midlands. Research is carried out across four substantive themes: long-term conditions, acute care interfaces, integrated care in youth mental health, and maternity services. There are four cross-cutting themes that underpin this research: organisational sciences, research methodology, rapid response and informatics, and public health and social care.
NIHR Midlands Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC)
The PSRC carries out research to improve patient safety. It focuses on topics including service delivery, patient safety behaviours, clinical decision making, and transitions between care settings. A key emphasis underpinning all research is reducing safety inequalities in healthcare.
West Midlands Secure Data Environment for Research (WMSDE)
The WMSDE is a data storage and access platform that improves patient care by delivering innovation sooner. The WMSDE works with universities and other experts in the West Midlands to provide secure data for clinical trials and studies. Approved users can access appropriate information for analysis, with the NHS tightly controlling what they see.
Birmingham Health Partners
We are part of Birmingham Health Partners (BHP), a strategic alliance dedicated to jointly accelerating and implementing healthcare innovations. We are located within Birmingham’s Integrated Life Sciences campus, bringing together academics and clinicians from a range of disciplines.
University of Birmingham (UoB)
The UoB is located in Edgbaston, in close proximity to UHB. UoB teaches and researches across the full breadth of academic disciplines, creating a vibrant community with multi-disciplinary opportunities for research and education.
Our Health Partnership
OHP is one of the largest GP partnerships in the UK, operating under a unique autonomy model. Established in 2015, their vision to create a healthy future for their practices and patients. They also support a wider footprint of practices, by providing a range of support services to Primary Care Networks.
Dr Vish Ratnasuriya MBE, Chair of OHP and Co-founder of the Primary Care HealthTech Accelerator:
“Primary care sits at the heart of neighbourhood health services, and our patients will only benefit fully from the three radical shifts in the NHS Long Term Plan if we can bring innovation from idea to implementation quickly and safely. Partnering with the NIHR HRC-DDR allows us to connect the reality of general practice with world-class expertise in devices, digital and robotics, ensuring that new technology is designed, tested and deployed with real-world populations in ways that truly improve care, reduce pressure on services, and support healthier communities.”
