Strokes
(asked on 9th February 2015) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of patients involved in stroke research trials.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) makes it possible for patients to participate in relevant research. The CRN supports the set-up and timely delivery of commercial and non-commercial trials and studies in the National Health Service in England. The number of CRN-hosted studies in stroke as main specialty, and recruitment to these studies, has increased substantially since 2008/09.
Data on the number of CRN trials (phases I to IV) and other well-designed studies open in each year in stroke, and recruitment to these trials and studies is shown in the following table.
| 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
Number of trials | 33 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 35 | 39 |
Number of studies (including trials) | 66 | 98 | 105 | 117 | 115 | 114 |
Recruitment in trials | 2,632 | 3,259 | 4,372 | 5,061 | 4,512 | 3,015 |
Recruitment in studies (including trials) | 6,995 | 7,635 | 10,517 | 11,979 | 12,373 | 9,306 |
Recruitment to stroke studies was lower in 2013/14 than in 2012/13 as several large multi-centre studies with high recruitment targets closed. In addition, there has been change in the overall composition of the stroke study portfolio, with an increased number of single-centre and earlier phase studies with smaller recruitment targets.