The UK’s clinical research landscape: Can we keep our competitive edge in the life sciences? 

We are celebrating International Clinical Trials Day to highlight the groundbreaking work being done across Barts Health and Queen Mary University of London. The clinical research landscape in the UK brims with opportunity and innovation, and offers significant return on investment. We spoke with Jenny Rivers, Director of Research & Development at Barts Health NHS Trust and Academy of Medical Sciences FLIER, to explore the UK’s advantages in research and development, as well as the areas where the sector faces challenges. 

Jenny highlights how the country has a unique opportunity to lead, for example, in early-phase trials and translational research, and outlines how the new Barts Life Sciences Cluster in North East London will be pivotal to further build on our strengths.  

Note, the views expressed herein are those solely of the author.  

What is the global trend for R&D in Life Sciences and how does the UK compare with global peers?  

We’re seeing significant growth in clinical research and innovation globally, including in trial design, use of AI, data and digital technology as well as novel therapeutics and diagnostics, among many others. We’re also seeing a continued increase in global funding, including R&D expenditure from large pharmaceutical companies, with the volume of clinical trials stabilising after declines in 2022 and 2023 as COVID-19 trials came to an end. The majority of industry-initiated trials are still currently from US-based companies, followed by China, with Europe having a much smaller share.  

In the UK, there have been some positive changes since the O’Shaughnessy review of commercial clinical trials, published in May 2023, with growth in the number of pharmaceutical industry trials and an improvement in our global ranking, especially for later phase studies. However, the number of participants recruited to commercial clinical trials continues to decline and despite major investment in infrastructure for vaccine trials in the UK, we’re seeing a decline in studies opening here. It’s clear that efficiency of trial delivery, in the NHS and wider health and care settings, is becoming increasingly important to continue to be able to offer these vital opportunities to our patients. 

We also have an opportunity to build on our strengths. First, we have an outstanding knowledge base, driven by our university system and collaboration across sectors, including with industry. Our access to NHS patient data, the diversity of our patient population, especially here in North East London, and our highly skilled and motivated workforce that drive and deliver research across our health and care services, also put us in a strong position compared to other countries. 

In clinical research, the UK holds a distinct competitive edge in early-phase trials. The infrastructure and expertise developed during and after the pandemic, particularly in areas like genetic testing and vaccine capability, have positioned us at the forefront of translational research. We’ve also made strides in cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities that bolster this early-phase pipeline. 

When it comes to the impact of our publications, the UK’s research punches well above its weight. Despite our comparatively small size, especially if compared to the US, our publications consistently have a higher impact than those from global competitors.  

The UK is also leading the way in patient and public involvement and engagement. During the financial year 2023/24, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) reported that we recruited more than a million participants into clinical research, which is a remarkable achievement. In the same year, our Trust alone recruited 23,000, with an increase to over 30,000 in 2024/25, with over 700 of those recruited to commercial drug trials, the highest recruitment amongst NHS trusts in the country. 

Taking all of this together – our leading academic research, expertise and infrastructure for clinical research delivery and strong track record of collaboration and engagement, including with patients and the public – the UK offers significant return on investment in life sciences research.  

With an extremely challenging public finance backdrop nationally, might we see downward pressure in government funded health-related R&D?  

Investments in R&D are part of the solution as they help us to not only improve patient care, but also save the NHS money and help us grow the economy. For example, translation of research into clinical practice improves productivity, through shorter hospital stays, improved outcomes for patients, and increased job satisfaction and retention among health and care staff. Further, for every £1 spent by the NIHR (2022/23) about £13 in direct benefits to the UK economy are generated, along with much wider societal benefits. Moreover, the gross value added by clinical research was £7.4 billion in 2022 and 65,000 jobs were created. 

The data very much speak for themselves, and central and local government are committed to boost the economy through enhanced healthcare and life sciences – there’s clear momentum. We particularly welcome the announcement from Science Minister, Lord Vallance (19 May 2025) with plans for the UK government to support 10-year R&D funding budgets. These aim to provide stability and core infrastructure, whilst attracting global talent and supporting cross-sector partnerships, with specific criteria to prioritise areas of focus, to build on the UK’s existing strengths. Moreover, the London’s Growth Plan which includes a strong focus on Life Science Clusters, including a new one in North East London – where we are based – which Barts Health and Queen Mary University of London are developing.  

How will this new life science cluster benefit health innovators and researchers? 

As the largest NHS trust in the region, Barts Health is already a hub for research and innovation. Our partners at Queen Mary University of London are a Russell Group university that is ranked among the best in the world for medical research. Together, we host substantial joint infrastructure, for example the NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre, cutting-edge clinical research facilities and a Secure Data Environment – the Barts Health Data Platform. 

The new Life Sciences Cluster allows us to not only strengthen our partnership, but also to bring more collaborators on board to work with us. The co-location of R&D facilities brings essential assets into close proximity, along with our highly skilled workforce. 

But there is more. Our local area is also home to one of the most diverse populations in Europe and one of the most deprived communities in the country, who are not always well represented in clinical trial participant populations. We are now successfully monitoring the diversity of our clinical trial participants through their electronic health records and our Barts Health Data Platform provides research-ready access to health records of our patient population of 2.5 million people. This allows us to better predict health risks and to tailor treatment options.  

In addition, innovators and researchers can collaborate with our digital and data experts who can support development and implementation of projects to transform healthcare, for example through AI.  

But what’s crucial is that we’re not viewing these facilities as isolated entities. This is about working within the wider system – sharing resources, collaborating, signposting, and making sure our facilities are used in the most efficient way to maximise impact. An example of this is our new NIHR North East London Commercial Research Delivery Centre, which we lead along with Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. 

In short, everything that’s needed for a vibrant life science ecosystem, moving innovations from bench to bedside, can be found in close proximity in our new Barts Life Sciences Cluster. 

This presents a significant opportunity to address health inequalities, and apply these learnings across the UK and globally.  

The opportunities in North-East London seem vast, how do you prioritise what research is undertaken? 

It’s crucial to align research priorities with our clinical strategies. These strategies are based on patient needs, population growth and diversity, and we hold ourselves accountable for delivering research that has the greatest impact. For Barts Health, this involves working across our diverse range of NHS hospitals – from St Bartholomew’s, which offers specialist cancer and cardiac care among other world-class, research-active services, to the Royal London Hospital, a leading trauma and emergency care centre in the city, as well as Mile End, Newham, and Whipps Cross hospitals, that serve a wide range of acute care needs for their local populations. 

An example of how we’re investing to achieve this, is our new Academic Centre for Health Ageing, based at Whipps Cross Hospital and funded by Barts Charity, in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London, which will work together with our local population to improve care and support for people as they grow older.  

You have mentioned the importance of working with the wider system. Is there one particular challenge that needs addressing? 

We need to get better at involving staff from all parts of the NHS and wider health and care settings. Our clinical workforce see every day what works and what doesn’t. Ideas can come from anywhere and their expertise and knowledge are invaluable for R&D. But that means that we must provide all staff with opportunities to engage in research and innovation. This begins by creating a culture that encourages curiosity and a desire to treat patients in new and effective ways. We also need to dismantle the silos that exist in our working environments and challenge the notion that staff working in health and care environments must be academics to contribute meaningfully to research.  

Here at Barts Health, we are making steps in the right direction. For example, we are setting up a Nursing Leadership Institute and work closely with local colleges to train current and future NHS staff. We support our staff to access a range of funded fellowships and internships, and provide opportunities for exposure to research and innovation as part of existing roles.  

Finally, are there any changes you would suggest to policy makers regarding R&D initiatives within the NHS? 

The ten-year plan following the Darzi review is crucial, and we must adopt a more open, system-wide approach, including cross-sector collaboration, moving beyond traditional models of leadership to drive the transformational change that we desperately need. We need academia, the NHS and industry to work more closely together, and the Barts Life Science Cluster is one example of how this kind of collaboration can be improved. 

It’s also essential that we adopt a more positive narrative surrounding research and innovation across health and care settings. The decline of clinical academic roles in the UK, as highlighted by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and others, is concerning, especially regarding our competitive edge to recruit and retain talented research leaders. While we recognise the challenges facing the NHS at the moment, with a great deal of uncertainty following the government’s announcement to abolish NHS England, we can respond positively to the proposed government shifts through research and innovation. That requires us to move towards a more positive language – especially in areas where it’s vital to ensure our workforce feels empowered and motivated to engage. Promoting research as a rewarding contribution and a fundamental aspect of career development is critical – and given that the NHS has 1.3 million employees, the potential is huge.  

The same positive language needs to drive our dialogue with patients and the public as well. We need to highlight the benefits of R&D – the improved clinical outcomes, the jobs, the economic growth. In short: R&D is an investment well worth making and we should not shy away from saying so.  

About the author  

Jenny is an experienced research leader having led large teams, driven research strategy across the NHS, academia and beyond, and managed operations, governance, and finance across complex and diverse research portfolios. She joined Barts Health NHS Trust in October 2023 to develop and deliver the Trust’s research strategy. In this role, Jenny oversees the Trust’s research resources and infrastructure, including the Joint Research Management Office with Queen Mary University of London, the NIHR Barts Health Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre and hosts the Regional Research Delivery Network and North East London Commercial Research Delivery Centre, facilitating clinical research delivery across North London.  

As a champion of sustainable clinical research delivery, Jenny is working with the Academy of Medical Sciences where she is a Future Leader in Innovation, Enterprise and Research (FLIER) and participates on their joint international policy project with the US National Academy of Medicine on climate change and health. Jenny also works with UK Research & Development leaders in the NHS (UKRD) to embed environmental sustainability in all aspects of clinical research. As well as driving research to mitigate the risks of climate change on health and provision of health and social care, this work emphasises the role of UK R&D leaders to reduce carbon emission associated with research delivery, all contributing towards a net zero NHS. 

Jenny has a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Liverpool and has worked in a variety of research roles in academia, industry and the NHS.