Health initiative which has transformed research in Liverpool City Region celebrates its first anniversary

A health initiative that has transformed the way research is done in Liverpool City Region is celebrating its first anniversary.

Liverpool Health Partners established SPARK (the Single Point for Access to Research and Knowledge) in October 2019 as one stop shop for setting up clinical trials.

Cheshire and Merseyside have very specific and stark health inequalities, particularly in cardiovascular disease, cancer, infection and maternal and neonatal health and this has worsened since the coronavirus outbreak.

Research is therefore vital to find a way to help improve the health outcomes of our local population and globally.

Our region has world class researchers and outstanding NHS Hospital Trusts which have come together to tackle these important issues.

LHP SPARK brings together four universities and eight NHS Trusts in the region to help deliver world class research.

SPARK has a dedicated team providing a centralised system making it easier and quicker to deliver vital research in the Liverpool City Region. This in turn gives greater opportunities for people here to access and participate in key research.

Over the past 12 months, LHP SPARK have driven down set-up times to 15 days and opened more than 150 studies within the region.

The team have supported local researchers and applied for grants for more than 130 different research projects.

During the coronavirus outbreak, LHP SPARK have opened 53 COVID-19 specific studies, including important public health studies and vaccine trials. To date, 6322 participants have been recruited into COVID-19 studies within the region.

Dr Seema Chauhan, Head of LHP SPARK, said: “I am really proud of everything we have achieved with SPARK in the last 12 months to help improve the health of our local population and we hope to continue driving forward vital research in the next year.”

If you would like to learn more about being part of research go to bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk