New data shows NHS patients are getting faster access to innovative treatments as collaborative efforts across the sector strengthen clinical research delivery.

The latest UK Clinical Research Delivery key performance indicators (published 21 October) show the average set-up time for commercial trials in the UK dropped to 100 days in the three months to March this year, down from 153 in the same period last year.

The data demonstrates progress around the UK government’s ambitious 150-day clinical trial set-up target - from initial regulatory application through to recruiting the first participant – set in in October 2025 as part of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

This is designed to cut unnecessary delays in the set-up of clinical trials with the goal of attracting more investment and opportunities, improving health outcomes, and accelerating the development of future medicines and therapies.

Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Chief Scientist (Health) at Scottish Government said:

“The data demonstrates progress in reducing clinical trial set up times. It shows that working together to prioritise research really does get results – giving patients faster access to innovative treatments and strengthening the UK’s appeal to global clinical trial sponsors.

“I’m proud of Scotland’s contribution to these efforts with five European and one global first patient recruited to our trials over the last year.

“We know that behind every clinical trial is someone living with a serious illness; so, we are absolutely committed to working with our partners across the sector to attract more trials to the UK, expedite study set-up and ensure our patients are among the first in the world to benefit from new treatments.”

A plan for delivery

The Scottish government’s Programme for Government (PfG) 2026–2031 details life sciences innovation and clinical trials as a foundational pillar for its public services and economic growth strategy—ensuring the long-term benefits of research are felt by everyone.

Over the last year the establishment of four Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) in Scotland has strengthened efforts to expand and accelerate clinical trials across the country.  

Funded through the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme, this highly coordinated model is part of the CRDC UK Network and provides global pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors a clearer route to access the expertise, sites and delivery capability needed to run studies across the NHS.

Located within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian, NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside, Scotland’s CRDCs form part of an integrated ecosystem connecting NHS Scotland, academia, industry and government, and are already translating strategic investments into proven, real-world delivery of commercial clinical trials.  

Firsts

It includes recruiting the first global patient to a major Phase 3 study of a new combination treatment for adults with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), on the very same day the study opened. This surpassed the 30-day recruitment target within the broader 150-day commercial trial set-up metric and follows a flagship strategic partnership launched in 2024 between NHS Scotland, AstraZeneca and the Universities of Dundee and Glasgow to develop medicines that could slow CKD progression and reduce the need for dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Teams across the country have also recruited the first European patients to multiple studies.

This includes a global Phase 2 trial looking at the effectiveness of a potential new treatment for individuals living with the devastating lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study team reached this recruitment milestone in less than one-third of the site set-up and recruitment target within the UK’s broader 150-day commercial trial set-up metric.

Similar efficiency was demonstrated in a global Phase 3 study of a new treatment for type 1 diabetes. The study team gained site approval in almost half the target time and recruited its first patient three times faster than the targets set within the 150-day commercial trial set-up metric, meaning a patient in Scotland was the first in the UK and second worldwide to be recruited into the trial.

Even in very complex trials, often for rare diseases or personalised therapies, Scotland is rapidly advancing in both capability and speed.

Scotland became the first site in Europe to administer a pioneering personalised mRNA cancer immunotherapy. The patient was only the fourth person worldwide with gastro-oesophageal cancer to receive this specific individualised neoantigen therapy (INT). Unlike a preventative vaccine, INT is a personalised therapeutic vaccine - clinicians analyse a biopsy of the patient’s tumour, map its unique biomarkers and create a tailored mRNA sequence that trains the patient's own immune system to identify and destroy remaining cancer cells.

While the individualised cancer trial offers new hope for adults, Scottish clinicians are also leading the charge in addressing critical childhood illnesses through clinical trials, with a Scottish patient the first in Europe to be recruited to a global Phase 3 study exploring the efficacy of a new treatment for children with Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS). This syndrome is one of the leading causes of acute kidney injury in the paediatric population and can result in lifelong complications such as chronic renal problems, hypertension, and neurological impairments so trials of new treatments are vitally important.

In addition to attracting studies, accelerating trial setup and recruitment, Scotland’s CRDCs are also helping to expand research access to rural and underserved communities.

Operating on a hub and spoke model each CRDC, partnered with a Scottish medical school, extends their reach to smaller spoke sites, including GP practices via Practice Embedded Research Units (PERUs), and into participants’ homes through the Scottish Decentralised Clinical Trials (SCOT-DCT) initiative.

Boosting life sciences

Not only is this helping to improve access to research, but also helping to build local research capability and help spread the health, skills, and economic benefits of commercial research more widely.

The improvements across the research system directly reflect the commitment, energy and collaboration of teams across the country. 

While accelerating trial setup is vital, it represents just one component of a much broader transformation of the UK clinical research delivery ecosystem.

Modernised regulations, single national contract sign-offs, and dedicated NHS delivery teams are all helping to reduce delays and support faster, more predictable study timelines.

As a committed partner, Scotland is vital to strengthening this collective UK offer—driving global life sciences investment and accelerating patient access to breakthrough treatments.

Moving forward, the cross-sector UK Clinical Research Delivery programme will sustain this momentum, leveraging data to dismantle remaining barriers and ensure continuous improvement.

Find out more

• UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Scotland’s Commercial Research Delivery Centres
• UK Clinical Research Delivery Programme
• Scottish Government’s Programme for Government (PfG) 2026–2031

This article is written as part of a promotional agreement between NHS Research Scotland (NRS) and Healthcare News Scotland.

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