Today (23 March 2026) the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has published a new report calling for the UK to use NHS data to help recruit more patients to clinical trials.
The report, ‘Globally competitive UK-wide data-enabled clinical trials: the time is now makes a series of recommendations which the Health Research Authority has responded to.
Becky Purvis, Director of Policy and Partnerships, Health Research Authority"To achieve the government’s ambition for the UK to be a world leader in clinical trials we need to make it is as easy as possible to do research that people are confident and able to choose to take part in.
"If we get this right, this will make the UK a more attractive place for commercial companies to do their research, meaning that more people will be able to take part and benefit from its findings.
"Longitudinal patient data in the UK is a unique strength. One way to realise the benefits of this is to create ways that it can be safely and securely accessed. This information can then be used to help design clinical trials and inform potential participants about them.
"Getting this right will enable researchers to identify potential suitable trial participants, which will help increase opportunities for people from all backgrounds across the UK to take part in research that is relevant to them.
"But this is only possible with public confidence in how personal data will be accessed and who handles it.
"The creation of the Health Data Research Service to establish a single, secure gateway to health and care data is a huge opportunity to create the infrastructure to do this with public trust. ABPI’s report makes helpful recommendations to inform its development, shaped by the priorities of those currently recruiting into commercial clinical trials in the UK.
"This includes establishing a Service Design Group to take this forward. We look forward to working with this group to inform the development of a roadmap to achieve rapid, targeted recruitment into trials across the UK."