Maintaining Research Activity amidst Competitive Tendering of NHS Services in England

For the past ten years, the UK Government has attempted ‘to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research’. Investment into the NIHR and its CRNs has helped make the healthcare system safer, more effective and cost-efficient, as well as improve the research agenda. However, due to commissioning and the service contract tendering process, changes in contract provider (specifically to non-NHS organisations) can hamper ongoing clinical research, affecting both organisations and patients. This paper explores the issues and discusses next steps in the continuity of research activity.