NIHR data reveals commercial study set up times reduce by a third

Over 600 commercial studies have been reviewed in the past 12 months

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has revealed that the National Contract Value Review (NCVR) has reduced NHS set-up times for commercial studies.

The NCVR has completed over 600 commercial study reviews within the last 12 months.

Currently, the NCVR process is the UK’s standard, national approach to costing and contracting for commercial contract research, led by NHS England in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NIHR Clinical Research Network, the Health Research Authority and developed administrations.

Over 60 studies completed a national review and continued all the way through the process, meaning the studies have opened to recruitment at participating sites and participants have been enrolled.

The analysis found that commercial study set-up times are over 100 days quicker, which is around 185 days faster in comparison to the pre-pandemic data for 2019 and 2020.

In comparison to the previous year, the average time beginning from initial cost submission to the first participant consenting to participate in the study has reduced by 36%, from 305 days to 194 days.

Commencing this October, the NCVR aims to roll out its second stage to further improve commercial study set-up timelines across the UK, bringing an end to local negotiations with NHS organisations.

Additionally, the NCVR aims to benefit the setups of early-phase studies and Advanced Medical Therapeutic Medicinal Studies, as well as primary care, to test and refine the process.

Laura Bousfield, national head of feasibility and start-up, NIHR Clinical Research Network, said: “This analysis demonstrates the efficiencies that can be achieved with a system-wide costing tool and model agreements; reducing not only time but resource and duplication of effort.”

Alastair Nicholson, head of co-ordination and standardisation at the Health Research Authority, said: “Removing local contract and contract value negotiation and replacing them with standard templates and transparent, up-front prices, is a huge step towards this.”