Eleanor Cross Healthcare awarded NIHR funding to launch Primary Care Research Centre in Northampton
Eleanor Cross Healthcare in Northampton has secured funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Capital Investment Programme to establish a dedicated primary care research clinic and laboratory supporting research into metabolic health, obesity and other long-term conditions.
The funding forms part of a national £47.8 million investment to strengthen the NHS’s ability to deliver high-quality commercial clinical research across England. Notably, the majority of funding in this round has been awarded to primary care organisations, reflecting a national shift to bring research directly into communities.
The investment will enable Eleanor Cross Healthcare to create a bariatric-accessible research clinic and on-site laboratory facility designed to support metabolic, obesity and long-term condition research. The new infrastructure will include specialist bariatric equipment, diagnostic devices and a -40°C monitored laboratory freezer with backup power supply – allowing the practice to host commercial and NIHR portfolio studies that previously could not be delivered in a primary care setting.
Northamptonshire faces significant health challenges, with high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and health inequality. Many patients who could benefit from clinical research are currently excluded due to lack of local infrastructure or mobility limitations. This new research facility is specifically designed to address those barriers.
Dr Jamie Green, GP Partner at Eleanor Cross Healthcare, said: “This funding is transformative for primary care in Northampton. It allows us to bring cutting-edge clinical research directly into the community, rather than expecting patients to travel to large hospital centres.
“We are particularly proud that the clinic has been designed to be inclusive, ensuring patients with obesity, mobility issues or complex needs can participate in research safely and comfortably.
“Our ambition is to make Northampton a centre of excellence for primary care research in metabolic and lifestyle medicine.”
The project has received support from local partners including NHS Northamptonshire ICB, The ARC PCN, General Practice Alliance, Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, West Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire Sport.
It is hoped that the investment will help other GP sites also engage in research, on a scale not previously seen in Northampton, as well as bringing along workforce development and commercial research investment into Northamptonshire, contributing to the UK’s global life science competitiveness.
The new research clinic and laboratory is already in development and is due to be completed over the next two years.