£18m Funding For Health Research In Wales

A number of significant research projects into cancer, public health, primary and emergency care, as well as mental health are to benefit from an £18m by the Welsh Government, it has been announced.

Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething confirmed the three-year funding package as the Welsh Government prepares to unveil a major restructuring of its health and social care research arm.

Health and Care Research Wales, formerly known as NISCHR, will ensure that future investment by the Welsh Government in health and social care research supports and develops excellence and has a positive impact on the public, public services and the Welsh economy.

One of the core ambitions for Health and Care Research Wales is for the country to become a centre of excellence for public involvement in research; where researchers and the public can work together to influence and deliver research.

Over the next three years, £18.15m will be invested in eight dedicated research centres and units across Wales, covering cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, mental health, primary and emergency care, ageing and dementia, as well as neurological and neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

The facilities to benefit from the funding are:

• National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea universities (£3m)

• Wales Cancer Research Centre, Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea universities, Velindre NHS Trust (£4.5m)

• Wales Centre for Primary and Emergency Care Research, Cardiff, Bangor, South Wales and Swansea universities (£2.7m)

• NISCHR Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research, Swansea, Bangor and Cardiff universities (£1.8m)

• NISCHR Centre for Population Health Research, Swansea and Cardiff universities and Public Health Wales (£2.25m)

• Wales Kidney Research Unit, Cardiff University (£1.2m)

• The Wales BRAIN Unit, Cardiff (£1.2m)

• Diabetes Research Unit, Swansea University (£1.5m).

Welcoming the allocation of funds, Minister Gething said: "The Welsh Government wants Wales to be internationally recognised for excellent health and social care research which has a positive impact on the health, wellbeing and prosperity of people in Wales. The research our universities conduct today will determine the care our NHS and social services deliver tomorrow.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era for government-backed research; one which builds on the outstanding endeavours of the past to ensure that the new Health and Care Research Wales is able to purposefully address the challenges we face in Wales today and in the future.

"There is no doubt that research and development plays a central role in improving health and wellbeing, effective services and wealth generation. The £18m package of investment I'm announcing today will fund the vital, high-quality research needed to turn our aspiration of achieving better health and social care for everyone in Wales into reality."

(JP)