Research Hub opens at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre
Friday, 6 September 2024
A new research hub based in Marshalls Cross Medical Centre at St Helens Hospital will be a huge boost for the Trust.
The Primary Care Research Hub, which was officially opened by Chief Executive Ann Marr this week, will play a crucial role in enhancing research engagement and capacity in the organisation.
It will also support the health needs of the local population after being chosen as one of two pioneering sites in St Helens to receive significant investment aimed at advancing and delivering high-quality research while improving engagement in research activities.
Professor Greg Irving, a GP based at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre, was a driving force behind the development of the new hub which will aim to promote high-quality research across health and social care disciplines, recruit people into studies who have not always been given the opportunity and provide a valuable meeting space to support co-production of research with local patients.
He said:
“Thanks to the incredible commitment of all the staff here Marshalls Cross has earned its reputation as a leading site for research in the region. We were one of the top recruiting sites for the Panoramic trials during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been at the forefront of initiatives like the Deep End Cheshire and Mersey Project, which focuses on addressing health inequalities in the region through research.
“The hub is incredibly important as it allow us to increase not only the amount of research we can do but the breadth of the studies we undertake as well, allowing us to do types of studies that we haven’t been able to do before.’’
Ann Marr said:
“To have this new centre is a huge accolade for everyone here and all our staff should feel very, very proud.
“This is an exciting new development which will benefit the local area and beyond and it is nice to see something so ground-breaking.
“As a Trust we are not just focused on treating people who come into hospital, we are interested in health promotion and how we can help prevent illnesses in the long term and this centre is perfectly placed to do that.
“I have no doubt that as we move forward from today, we will see more and more exciting work being developed with research that makes a real difference to patient care.’’