More Bradford Patients Set To Help Develop New Treatments

Wednesday, 16 March 2016 14:52

Bradford's position as a centre of excellence in the field of health research has taken another step forward with the opening of a new £1.2m extension at the Bradford Institute for Health Research (BIHR).

The investment in research infrastructure by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seen as a welcome boost as it represents the growth and expansion of the Research Institute since its creation in 2007.

The new two-story building, at Temple Bank Lodge, increases the size of the Institute’s current research facility by 287m²and will house researchers, alongside doctors and nurses, all working together on the latest healthcare innovations.

The extension provides seven offices for approximately 27 staff and the project also included the refurbishment of the BIHR’s existing clinical research facility to provide two new patient areas.

Clinical research plays a vital role in the work of the NHS as it gives patients access to the latest medical innovations.

Institute director, Professor John Wright, said: “Patients who get involved in clinical research trials benefit personally and help to improve the standards of care for all future patients.

“We want all our patients in Bradford to be able to have access to this care and this new £1.2 million state-of-the-art facility will provide high standards of amenities and comfort.

“From now on, when there is a new and potentially life-saving treatment developed, patients in Bradford should be the first in the UK to benefit.”

The extension, which is within the grounds of the Bradford Royal Infirmary, will house research staff from NHS Trusts in Bradford and academic staff from Bradford, Leeds and York universities.

On Friday, the contractors Walter West Builders Ltd, and the architects on the project, Bridger Carr, handed the new extension back to the Institute, whose staff moved in immediately.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ Medical Director, Dr Bryan Gill, said: “At BIHR there is a real passion and commitment to expand our work and maintain our already established position as a national leader in applied health research, a move that can only benefit patients as we develop new and cutting edge healthcare.”

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