Peterborough City Hospital gets £160,000 research funding boost

The trust that runs Peterborough City Hospital has been given a major funding boost, after being given more than £160,000 to spend on cutting edge equipment.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has provided more than £2 million of funds for hospitals across the East of England, and £96 million across the country, with £163,000 coming to the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford & Rutland hospitals.

Dr Callum Gardner, Chief Medical Officer at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We were thrilled to hear our application for funding has been successful. As a Trust that is growing its Research and Development activity at pace, this is great news, particularly for our patients.

“The funding is being used to purchase ultrasound machines and convert a room to house them. These machines will be used in specific NIHR portfolio rheumatology and stroke research studies, offering more of our patients the opportunity to participate in research.”

The funding will drive research and innovation to enable scientific discoveries and new technologies to improve the prevention, management and treatment of disease. It will pay for a range of innovative equipment, including imaging devices, mobile research vehicles, ultrasound equipment, and specialist fridges and freezers that are essential for storing samples used in research.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “From Devon to Liverpool, we're giving NHS organisations over £96 million to bolster vital health and care research.

“Scientists and medical experts will be able to purchase cutting-edge equipment, like mobile CT scanners, imaging devices and ultrasound equipment to help their ground breaking work in the prevention, treatment and management of disease.

“The NHS and its staff have now served us for nearly 75 years and as we celebrate that achievement we want to make sure the health service is leading the way. This investment will also help the NHS continue to cut waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities.”

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be distributing the funding to various Trusts in the East of England, including selected NIHR Local Clinical Research Networks. The investment will cover a variety of equipment to boost research. This includes ‘Health Kiosks’ that are integrated with patient health records and able to capture data on height, weight, BMI and blood pressure. The money will also pay for an X-ray machine and ultrasound scanners so people can access diagnostics and take part in trials nearer to their homes.