Thursday 12 March 2026
Cutting-edge cancer research facilities in Manchester will be upgraded thanks to almost £850,000 of funding awarded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The capital funding has been awarded to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust to enable the NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at The Christie to deliver even more early phase and commercial cancer trials.
Key elements of the refurbishment project will include expanded treatment areas and upgraded facilities to enhance trial delivery systems and to work more innovatively with support services. This will allow the facility to provide more treatment visits per year and improve patient experience.
As part of the Government’s aim to turbocharge clinical trials, the £47.8 million awarded to NHS organisations across England is funded by a partnership between the government and the pharmaceutical industry, called the Voluntary Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme.
Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite, Co-Director of the NIHR Manchester CRF (pictured), said: “We are incredibly grateful to receive this capital funding from the NIHR. This refurbishment will significantly enhance our capacity and capability to deliver increasingly more complex trials, foster new industry collaborations and improve patient experience.
“We want to continue to lead the way in early-phase studies and provide opportunities for even more participants to take part in research. Patients travel from across the North West and beyond to take part in our clinical trials, so ensuring our facilities are fit-for-purpose is vital.
“This investment also strengthens our commitment to continue to work collaboratively across the NIHR Manchester CRF to deliver experimental medicine research which saves, changes and improves lives.”
Manchester CRF is the largest and most comprehensive NIHR CRF in the UK, operating in 6 facilities based at NHS hospitals across Greater Manchester, providing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to take part in research. It is hosted by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with The Christie and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.
Research activity at the NIHR Manchester CRF at The Christie has grown by 49% over the last 5 years. In 2024 – 25, it supported more than 530 active trials and treated more than 600 patients across all cancer types.
Rebecca Shearer, Operational Manager at the NIHR Manchester CRF at The Christie (pictured), added: “This investment will allow us to support more complex and commercial trials which can require longer treatments or extended inpatient stays in high quality clinical environments.
“Upgraded facilities will allow us to work more efficiently and collaboratively with our support services to enhance inclusive trial delivery and improve patient experience and flow.
“By expanding our capacity, we will ensure more patients benefit from timely access to ground-breaking treatments.”
The VPAG programme is designed to boost the global competitiveness of the UK life sciences sector and stimulate economic growth by accelerating commercial clinical trials, boosting NHS research capacity, and supporting sustainable, innovative medicine manufacturing.
As well as providing state of the art equipment, NIHR’s Capital Investment Funding will also modernise research spaces through new modular facilities and deliver building refurbishments that support expansion for clinical trials, such as this upgrade at the NIHR Manchester CRF at The Christie.
Speaking about the announcement of the almost £50 million funding award overall, Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:
“This significant investment will provide the NHS with the high-quality equipment and facilities it needs to deliver cutting-edge commercial research that benefits the public.
“With more than half of the funding this time going to primary care providers, the NIHR is once again showing its commitment to shifting research out of hospitals and into local communities, giving patients direct access to innovative treatments, and making it easier for everyone to take part in research.
“This helps to make research more equitable, enhances the UK’s reputation for delivering world-class commercial research, and helps position the country as an attractive place for companies to invest.”