More than 7,000 people across Sussex took part in research at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex) last year, giving patients access to innovative treatments, diagnostics and clinical trials that are helping shape the future of care.
The latest UHSussex Research and Innovation Annual Review shows a 38% increase in participants from the previous year. This puts the Trust amongst the top 25% nationally for patient participation in research and in the top 20% for active recruiting studies. UHSussex is now among the top 25% of NHS acute trusts nationally for patient participation in research and in the top 20% for active recruiting studies. The annual review, covering April 2025 to March 2026, shows how embedding research and innovation into everyday healthcare is supporting the Trust’s Excellent Care Everywhere strategy helping improve care and widen access to new treatments and diagnostics for patients and communities across Sussex.
More access to innovative treatments and diagnostics
Research opportunities are available across a wide range of specialties, including cancer, cardiology, critical care, neonates and paediatrics, neurology, reproductive health, dermatology and infectious diseases.
By integrating research into everyday healthcare, more patients have opportunities to access innovative treatments, tests and technologies as part of their care, while contributing to improvements for future patients.
Highlights in the review include the first UK patient being randomised into the STEMI DCB heart attack trial at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Carolyn Thompson. Commenting on her involvement in the trial, Carolyn said: “If research can help doctors understand which treatments work best and improve care for future patients, then it’s important to be involved. For me, it was straightforward and non-intrusive, and you could be helping the next patient.”
Other examples highlighted include patients with prostate cancer who have accessed advanced targeted treatments through the STAMPEDE2 trial, while new diagnostic technologies are being investigated that could offer less invasive ways to diagnose womb cancer and conditions affecting the oesophagus, and newborn babies becoming eligible for whole genome sequencing through the Generation Study.
Professor Katie Urch, Chief Medical Officer at UHSussex, said: “Research is fundamental to improving the care we provide for our patients, both today and in the future. It gives people across Sussex opportunities to access new treatments, diagnostics and technologies, while helping us understand how we can deliver better, safer and more effective care. By creating more opportunities for patients to take part across our hospitals, services and communities, we can ensure advances in care reach more people across Sussex.”
Growing research across Sussex and beyond
During 2025/26, UHSussex secured £1.3 million of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding to expand and modernise clinical research facilities. New and enhanced facilities at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Worthing Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital will support larger and more complex studies, including early-phase and first-in-human trials.
The year also saw the launch of the NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC): Sussex, hosted by UHSussex in partnership with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The centre is helping increase access to industry-sponsored research, bring studies into community settings, expand opportunities for mental health research and reach communities that have traditionally been underserved by research.
The annual review also highlights the contribution of UHSussex staff, with 238 active principal investigators during the year and continued support for doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to develop research skills through the My Charity UHSussex Research Fellowship Programme. The influence of research taking place in Sussex is also extending beyond the Trust. UHSussex teams contributed to 975 publications during 2025/26, a 32% increase on the previous year, while research involving UHSussex was cited in 509 health guidelines and policy documents from 203 organisations across 26 countries.
Looking ahead: bringing research closer to home
Since the annual review reporting period ended, UHSussex has continued to build on this progress, with a growing focus on making it easier for people to access research closer to where they live.
The NIHR CRDC: Sussex, which celebrates its first anniversary this October, has continued to expand the range of industry-sponsored research available to local patients. Between April and June 2026, the CRDC completed the set-up of 33 studies, with a median time of 36 days to open a study, enabling 182 people to access industry-sponsored research closer to home. This included seven studies where UHSussex patients were the first European or first UK participants.
The next phase will focus on developing more community and mental health research, creating opportunities to take part in studies in community locations and GP practices, and improving access for people living in coastal and rural areas.
Since January 2026, 890 people have been engaged through research community events at the Trust, while the onboarding of research champions has increased by 40%, helping build stronger relationships with communities and widen participation.
Research is increasingly a routine part of healthcare across Sussex, giving more people the opportunity to access innovative treatments and diagnostics closer to home, and contribute to better care for patients now and in the future.
Get involved in research at UHSussex
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If you are interested in becoming a research champion or finding out more about the initiative, then please complete this form and we will reach out to you. Alternatively please email [email protected]