UK Government Targets Dramatic Reduction in Clinical Trial Set-Up Times to Boost Life Sciences Sector
New streamlined system aims to cut NHS clinical trial start-up from nine months to just ten weeks, enhancing UK’s global competitiveness
The UK government has announced ambitious plans to slash the time taken to set up clinical trials within the NHS by over two-thirds, aiming to accelerate medical innovation and firmly establish Britain as a global leader in life sciences.
Currently, launching a clinical trial in the NHS takes an average of 250 days—more than eight months—a delay that ministers say risks slowing access to new treatments for patients. However, a successful pilot scheme for an mRNA norovirus vaccine trial has demonstrated that this timeframe can be dramatically shortened to just 70 days. Building on this, the government now proposes to reduce trial set-up times further, to a targeted 10 weeks (approximately 70 days), by implementing a new, streamlined contracting process.
Cutting Bureaucracy to Accelerate Innovation
The revamped clinical trial system will remove unnecessary contractual hurdles and duplication in technical assurances, replacing complex, bespoke agreements with standardised contract templates. This new approach means that participating NHS sites can accept pre-agreed agreements without lengthy renegotiations, significantly reducing delays.
Officials involved in the pilot report that this standardised commercial contracting system not only expedites trial launches but also frees up vital workforce capacity within the NHS. The expected efficiencies will allow more trials to be conducted faster, ultimately improving patient access to cutting-edge treatments.
Health Minister Karin Smyth commented:
“For too long, some of the country’s greatest scientists have been trapped in a tangled web of bureaucracy — tied up by endless contracts and pointless paperwork — with new treatments delayed and patients missing out. We’re transforming the UK into a hotbed for innovation — ensuring the most innovative companies can get their products on the market and to the NHS frontline as quickly as possible.”
Reinforcing the UK’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy
Clinical trials form a cornerstone of the UK’s industrial strategy to promote life sciences as one of eight priority growth sectors. Despite the UK’s historic strength in medical research, the country has fallen in global rankings for hosting clinical trials, dropping from fourth to eighth place between 2017 and 2024, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). The government’s new initiatives seek to reverse this trend, making the UK a more attractive destination for pharmaceutical investment.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, emphasised:
“We’re taking a series of steps to strengthen the sector — streamlining the set-up and delivery of clinical trials, unlocking the power of our impressive life sciences sector and harnessing our world-leading science for patients across the country. Research is a core part of care, driving better patient outcomes, supporting our workforce and ensuring that our health and care system innovates today and is fit for the future.”
Enhancing Patient Access Through Digital Innovation
As part of the government’s wider 10-year NHS plan, millions of patients will soon gain direct access to clinical trials through an expanded NHS app, enabling faster recruitment and more diverse participation in research.
While the sector welcomes these regulatory and process improvements, industry leaders continue to call for fairer NHS pricing and support to maintain the UK’s competitiveness in the global pharmaceutical market.
