Newham residents set to benefit from new specialised pharmacy
The new Clinical Trials Pharmacy has been unveiled this week at Newham Hospital, providing the infrastructure needed to run pioneering clinical trials directly on site.
Before this new dedicated space, patients in Newham have often had to travel to other hospitals or trusts to take part in the latest trials and studies. This leaves many without access to emerging medicines that could provide life-changing health improvements.
Stuart Chandler, lead pharmacist for clinical trials at Barts Health NHS Trust, said:
By opening the pharmacy and allowing more trials at Newham, it gives more patients more choice about their treatment. Being part of a clinical trial can be daunting but reducing the burden by offering local access will make a huge difference to their experience.
One clinical trial currently running at The Royal London Hospital is focused on treating liver disease. Patients will benefit from access to the additional trial site being established at Newham Hospital.
Dr Hal Brindley, sub-investigator and consultant hepatologist & GI endoscopist at Newham Hospital, said:
This facility significantly expands our capacity to deliver cutting-edge medicines to a community that has historically faced barriers to trial participation. By bringing these resources on-site, we are entering an exciting new era of clinical excellence, ensuring our patients have direct access to the most advanced treatments available.
Barts Health is one of the most research-active NHS trusts in the country. Across 2024/25, the number of patients taking part in clinical trials rose by over one-third to a record 31,718 people. This made the Trust the fourth largest recruiter to publicly-funded studies in the country, while also the top NHS recruiter to commercial drug trials, with 739 participants during the same year.
Dr Jenny Rivers, director of research and development at Barts Health NHS Trust, said:
The establishment of the Clinical Trials Pharmacy at Newham is just one of the necessary investments we’re making to ensure that our clinical teams based at Newham can lead these projects and ensure more equitable access for the community of north east London.
Since 2023, Newham Hospital has received funding and support for clinicians (principal investigators), research nurses, a new 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and upgrades to office and laboratory space. These investments, in addition to the new Clinical Trials Pharmacy, will boost research capacity and activity at the site.
The Clinical Trials Pharmacy is a purpose-equipped space, based in the existing pharmacy at Newham Hospital, which has been recently refurbished to provide a temperature-controlled environment and storage capacity for study drugs.
Additional pharmacy staff have already been recruited to ensure the service can run efficiently and the new facility will provide opportunities for professional development, leadership and collaboration with academic and industry partners.
The pharmacy refurbishment and additional staff have been funded by Barts Charity, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and NHS England.
Fiona Miller Smith, chief executive of Barts Charity, said:
Developing the Clinical Trials Pharmacy at Newham Hospital is an important step to ensure more patients can benefit from innovative treatments closer to home. We are so happy that we can support on building a more inclusive and sustainable research environment that will improve health outcomes for east Londoners.