Newcastle University has been chosen by the Department of Health to co-ordinate the UK Stroke Research Network, in collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham and Oxford, under its UK Clinical Research Network (UKCRN) initiative. The network will comprise a National Co-ordinating Centre, based in the University, and eight local research networks around the country. The Department of Health is investing £20 million over five years in the project.
The aim of the UK Stroke Research Network is to establish a world-class research network which will facilitate the conduct of randomised prospective trials and studies, including for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of stroke.
The Network will meet the challenges facing UK stroke research, including responding to organisational and staffing changes in the NHS; facilitating greater expenditure on stroke research; increasing the number of multi-centre stroke rehabilitation trials and the number of trials which link directly to primary care; encouraging greater collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry; and improving links between the stroke research and clinical care communities.
One of the major elements of the network will be to increase the opportunities available for patients to become involved in clinical trials stroke research.
Newcastle University Professor and Consultant Stroke Physician at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, Gary Ford, is the Director of the National Stroke Research Centre. He said: 'Stroke accounts for over 10 per cent of deaths in the UK, and four to six per cent of the total NHS budget.
'Every five minutes, someone in the UK has a stroke, but only a fraction of stroke patients – fewer than one per cent – enter trials. The Network offers a major opportunity to increase the participation of patients and their carers in research and to expand the number of stroke trials to develop advances in the treatment of stroke patients from prevention through acute care and improving outcomes of rehabilitation.
'Advances in treatments developed in clinical trials of stroke will reduce the current unacceptably high death rate from stroke and long term disability with its heavy burden on stroke patients and their families', he added.
Dr Helen Rodgers, a specialist in stroke medicine at Newcastle University, who is Director of Patient Care within the UK Stroke Research Network, said: 'Stroke is devastating to patients and their families and carers, and expensive for society. The majority of people survive their first stroke, but they are often left with considerable physical and psychological impairments.
'We aim to work with the local research networks to help them provide opportunities for more people to become involved in stroke research, in order to improve stroke prevention, the quality of treatment and care, rehabilitation and long-term support for stroke patients'.
Newcastle University was chosen to co-ordinate the UK Stroke Research Network because of its already strong programme of stroke research, coupled with extensive expertise in managing clinical research. Professor Ford is also Director of the University's recently-opened £4.5 million Clinical Research Facility.
Professor Sally Davies, Director of Research and Development at the Department of Health said: 'The UK Stroke Research Network will provide a world-class health service infrastructure to support clinical research and speed up patients' access to the best treatment and care in all parts of the country.'
Dr Joanne Knight, Director of Research and Development at The Stroke Association said: 'The establishment of the Network is an exciting development for people affected by stroke. It will allow more stroke patients to participate in high quality research studies across the UK. This will increase and accelerate the development of new treatments to benefit the 150,000 people that have a stroke in the UK each year. The Stroke Association is looking forward to working closely with the network to ensure that the best possible patient benefit is derived from stroke service improvements based on good research.'
STROKE FACT FILE (Source: The Stroke Association)
Each year over 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke. About 10,000 of these are under retirement age. There are close to 60,000 deaths due to stroke each year.
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in England and Wales, after heart disease and cancer.
Stroke accounts for over eight per cent of all deaths in men and 13 per cent of deaths in women in England.
Stroke is the largest single cause of severe disability in England and Wales, with over 250,000 people being affected at any one time.
The cost of stroke to the NHS is estimated to be over £2.3 billion.
The total cost of stroke care will rise in real terms by around 30 per cent by the year 2023.
Stroke patients occupy around 20 per cent of all acute hospital beds and 25 per cent of long term beds.
Of every 16 stroke patients admitted to a general hospital, there will be one extra death compared with a coordinated Stroke Unit.