The results of a survey published today by the Health Research Authority (HRA) show the importance of work with our partners to improve the study set-up process across the UK.
The HRA ran the survey at the start of 2025 to get a baseline view from the research community about satisfaction levels of setting up research in the UK.
We’re using the results of the survey to evaluate changes we are making as part of the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme, a cross-sector programme of work aimed at creating a faster, more efficient, accessible and innovative clinical research delivery system.
In April the government pledged to cut the time it takes to get a clinical trial set-up to 150 days by March 2026.
We’ll repeat the survey every year to track progress in the work being done to make improvements to the site set-up process.
The survey heard from more than 500 people working across health and social care research about their experience of study set-up at sites in the UK.
It asked a series of questions around expectations and the ease, clarity, consistency, efficiency and speed of setting up research at sites in the UK.
As expected, the results showed how important it is to make it easier and faster to set up research in the UK.
Key findings from the survey
Some of the key findings from our survey were that:
- speed of setting up studies was rated as 3.8 out of 10
- efficiency of the study set up-process as a whole was rated 4.3 out of 10
- predictability of studies being set up the way they were expected to be was 5.7 out of 10
- consistency of experience with regulators was rated 6.5 out of 10, but this fell to 4.3 out of 10 for consistency of experience with NHS sites
- clarity of UK regulatory guidance on study set-up was rated 6.5 out 10, and feedback on sponsor processes was rated as 5.7 out of 10 but clarity of site processes rated only 5 out of 10
- ease of setting up studies at a single NHS site rated as 5.6 out of 10, falling to 4.2 out of 10 for multiple NHS sites
During the survey respondents were asked to tell us what type of organisation they worked for.
When analysing the results we found there were generally differences in the experience of study set-up between those working in the NHS and those outside of it.
Janet Messer, Director of Approvals ServiceThe results of the survey show a health and social care research system in need of greater alignment and a more simplified process – both of which will help speed up study set-up.
Our ongoing work as part of the UKCRD programme is specifically designed to make processes more efficient and predictable, which will reduce the burden and delay of study set-up. Throughout 2025 we have published new model contracts for researchers to use that will help streamline the commercial contracting process and reduce unnecessary negotiation – all of which will help speed up research.
We are also piloting new ways to streamline the assurance processes that research goes through in the UK to ensure steps aren’t repeated unnecessarily at different places where research is carried out.
Whilst we know speed is the most important aspect of set-up, the results also show us that the experience of the research process matters too, and there are some positives we can take from the results.
Respondents told us that guidance on the processes to follow in the UK was clear, and that regulators were consistent during study set-up. We know from speaking to people working across the industry that predictability is important to them so they can plan the set-up process around the structures we have in place.