New funding committed to NHS clinical research sites

The government has announced plans to allocate more than 100 million pounds for use by NHS clinical research facilities in the development of new therapies.

A total of 19 sites around the country will receive the National Institute for Health Research funding, which will be spent on hiring research nurses and technicians, as well as to support projects focusing on rare diseases.

Recipients include the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which are conducting studies into conditions such as cancer, infection, trauma, arthritis and nut allergies.

Winning bids were selected based on criteria such as research quality and volume, as well as the strength of centres' partnerships with universities and industry.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "These researchers will push forward the boundaries of what is possible. These are the people and the facilities where the very best new treatments will be developed for a huge range of conditions."

This follows an announcement earlier this week that an additional 22 million pounds will be allocated to supporting a new children's mental health programme over the coming months.