Our mission is to conduct high-quality clinical studies, to improve the health and wellbeing of people across Wales, and beyond.
Who are we?
The NWORTH Clinical Trials Unit (NWORTH CTU) is a fully-registered听听Clinical Trials Unit, based in the North Wales Medical School at 亚洲色吧.听 We work in partnership with ambitious researchers across the UK and internationally, to design and deliver high-quality clinical trials that address important health questions and improve clinical practice.
We specialise in the design and delivery of multi-centre, randomised controlled trials and other rigorous study designs, including pilot/feasibility studies, and individual and cluster controlled trials. We provide support to collaborators throughout each stage of the clinical trial lifecycle, including design, conduct, analysis and dissemination.听 Our team has extensive experience in developing funding applications, study design, trial management and methodology, research governance, electronic data capture and monitoring, statistical analysis, and publication.
The CTU works closely with researchers across 亚洲色吧 and听Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), to leverage skills and expertise to enhance trial design and conduct. We also work with other leading universities, and a range of investigators across the UK and globally, and our track record in delivering high-quality support often leads to repeat collaborations.听
Our diverse trial portfolio spans across clinical areas, including dementia and other neurological conditions, dental conditions, Women's health, cancer, addiction and mental health. Our studies include device and app trials,听CTIMPs, trials of complex interventions such as community-based healthcare programmes, and cognitive behavioural therapy.听
Our values
Our objectives
Our aim is to support and conduct impactful clinical research that aligns with the North Wales Medical School strategic aims, 亚洲色吧's Research Strategy 2030, local NHS research priorities, and Welsh Government's .听To achieve this, our objectives are:听
- To support and lead high-quality, high-relevance, and high-impact randomised clinical trials that address the needs of local communities and nationally, to improve the health and wellbeing of people across Wales, and beyond.
- To work in partnership with service users, researchers, local NHS providers and 3rd sector partners both nationally and internationally, to deliver evidence-based and scientifically sound clinical research that meets the needs of end-users.
- To develop the skills and knowledge of people involved, and interested, in clinical trials, to build research capacity and help grow a sustainable workforce for the future.听
- To lead and contribute to methodological research, to improve the validity, quality and efficiency of trial design.
- To educate the public and demystify clinical trials, in order to build trust to help ensure we get the most effective treatments to the most people, in most efficient way.听
- To embed reflection and learning across all our services, to champion and deliver excellence and continuous improvement.听
Our impact
The fundamental research we lead and support addresses relevant health priorities, improves interventions and advances knowledge. Here are some examples of how our research is making a difference to the health and wellbeing of people across Wales and beyond.听
Our history
NWORTH grew out of a research unit within the former Institute of Medical and Social Care Research, and was formally established and gained accreditation in 2007 with the remit to evaluate complex health care interventions and deliver research that has the potential to improve the health of the local community and beyond.听We directed our focus to enhancing the number, quality & progress of pragmatic trials conducted in or led from Wales. As a result, in 2007, NWORTH became one of the trial units within Wales to be awarded , having successfully听demonstrated a strong track record of coordinating large-scale multi-centre randomised controlled trials, and robust quality assurance systems and processes听to ensure the conduct and delivery of our clinical trials is to the highest quality standards. Since then, NWORTH has successfully maintained UKCRC accreditation, which is ratified by an International Review Committee of experts, reflecting the research excellence embedded within the Unit.听
Since NWORTH's establishment, we have grown into a core team of specialist staff, who have expertise across trial management, operations leadership, statistics, quality assurance, data management and IT systems. We are each dedicated to working collaboratively with investigators, to advance clinical research and ultimately improve patient care.听
