Annual Review 2021-22: research funding

Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Teams (HITs) have helped to attract over £10 million in research funding to Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire during 2021-22, for more than 30 different projects.

Highlights:

• The Chronic Pain HIT supported the patient and public involvement aspect of a successful collaborative bid to UKRI/Versus Arthritis for a £3.8 million grant to advance pain research in our region.
• Bristol Immunisation Group (BIG) HIT have secured more than £2.7 million for two studies, which look at increasing parental confidence and young people’s access to HPV vaccinations, and enhancing vaccine uptake and knowledge among healthcare professionals and the public.
• Stroke HIT director Phil Clatworthy was co-applicant on a successful £1 million funding bid to run a randomised controlled trial on giving patients aspirin after being hospitalised with pneumonia to prevent heart damage. HIT members will be involved in the research as patient and public contributors.
• £850,000 has been awarded to extend three clinical trials which the Kidney Disease HIT are involved in.
• The NIHR has awarded Bristol Bones and Joints HIT £250,000 to collaborate with the University of East Anglia on a feasibility study to test a caregiving intervention for people with chronic pain.

Olly Watson, Bristol Health Partners Chief Operating Officer, said:

“In the last year Bristol Health Partners has helped secure more funding for research that will inform our region’s health and care services than ever before, and I’m optimistic that our accreditation as an Academic Health Science Centre will continue to benefit the research landscape across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

“It’s also great to see how our HIT members with lived experience are becoming central to so many of these successful funding awards. Their input is invaluable, and as a partnership we are committed to supporting patient and public involvement at every level of research.”