Professor Chris Whitty Opens New Doncaster Community Research Facility
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and NIHR Lead, visited Doncaster to open a new community clinical research facility at a Yorkshire-based NHS trust.
The new facility, at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), will give residents across the region more opportunities to take part in research to improve the treatments and care for people with mental health conditions. It will be run by the trust’s Grounded Research team.
Opening the facility on February 8, Professor Whitty said: “The benefits of research are broad. Research-active trusts bring about many benefits for all patients, not just those that participate in it. That is why it is so heartening to see RDaSH take such initative in opening this clinical community research facility, which will help improve the lives of those the trust serves.”
Dr Nav Ahluwalia, RDaSH’s Executive Medical Director, who leads the trust’s Grounded Research team, said: “We are very proud of this new community research facility which is designed to increase the range and number of research studies that we can do. It brings research closer to the heart of the community resulting in improved treatments and outcomes for our patients.”
Dr Rupert Suckling, Director of Public Health at Doncaster Council, said: “The people of Doncaster are set to benefit from this fantastic new facility which RDaSH can now offer. It is another example of how Doncaster is moving ahead on its ambition to be a great place to live and work.”
Professor Whitty opened the facility as part of a tour of the Doncaster area, to understand the health challenges of the area and how research can help address these challenges.
