The UK government has allocated a total of £64 million to set up partnerships between NHS bodies and leading universities to conduct research into, and improve management of, major health conditions.
The seven new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborations for Health Research and Care, selected by an independent panel, will start work on 1 October 2008.
Each collaboration will bring together universities and their surrounding NHS organisations to test new treatments and new ways of working in specific clinical areas including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.
The aim is to see if these treatments and working practices are effective and appropriate for everyday use in the health service.
“This new funding will help to improve health outcomes for patients across England, with particular emphasis on conditions that cause chronic distress to patients and are a significant issue for the NHS to manage,” said Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo, who announced the scheme.
The NHS organisations taking part are the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, the Salford Teaching Primary Care Trust, the Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, NHS South West, and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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