Research and innovation

Medical research and innovation is at the heart of healthcare. Research is vital to ensure that patients with a diverse range of diagnoses are receiving the best treatment available. Medicine is always developing thanks to the incredible work of scientists and medical researchers, including many here in Nottingham’s hospitals.

Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our donors and fundraisers, Nottingham Hospitals Charity has contributed almost £12million to research at our hospitals over the past 15 years, with one aim in mind: to help save lives and enhance patients’ well-being.

Over the years, we have supported hundreds of research projects funding specialist areas. This includes research into improving care and treatment for patients with breast cancer, a nurse-led PhD study into using volunteers to help people with dementia while in hospital and a project to improve the information parents are given when they receive the devastating news that their child has cancer.

Read on for some of the amazing things your donations have funded...

Brain tumour and chemotherapy research - Research by Professor Richard Grundy

Professor Grundy and his team developed a self-assembling and biodegradable polymer paste called PLGA/PEG, which can be moulded onto the surgical cavity created by brain tumour surgery. The paste can deliver chemotherapy at close proximity to the brain cancer cells left behind after surgery. With generous funding from the Nottingham Hospitals Charity the team developed this chemotherapy paste and showed its effectiveness.

Breast Cancer – Research by Professor Stephen Chan

Recent Nottingham Hospitals Charity funding of £184,000 has helped Professor Chan and his team develop a method for determining whether individual patients’ tumours will respond to chemotherapy. The ultimate aim of the project is to enable clinicians to tailor their patients’ care, avoiding unpleasant side effects from unnecessary forms of treatment.

Eczema in babies - Research by Professor Hywel Williams

Eczema affects around one in five children and adults and there is no cure for it. In order to provide options for managing eczema, Professor Williams and his team developed the first phase of the Barrier Enhancement for Eczema Prevention (BEEP) trial. The BEEP trial was set up to ascertain whether moisturising babies during their first year can prevent eczema from developing. This pilot has now enabled the BEEP trial to commence its main phase and the first results were made available in 2019.

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Ben Webb and Evie second from right with West Bridgford Infants

To find out more about the research projects we have funded, download our Nottingham Hospitals Charity Research Report.

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More research projects your donations have funded...

Breast cancer research

Project cost: £184,000

Every minute one woman in the UK is diagnosed with breast cancer. See how Nottingham Hospitals Charity supports patient care.

Long Covid Research Appeal

Project cost: £50,000

In 2021 we aimed to raise £50,000 for a Long Covid Research Area to provide patients with support and learn from them during their Long Covid illness.

Hayward House

Hayward House is a specialist palliative care unit in the grounds of the City Hospital. Find out how we support specialist care for patients and families who stay here.