GP practice in Northampton secures funding for new laboratory to aid obesity and long-term condition research
A GP practice in Northampton has secured funding for a new laboratory and research clinic to support clinical research into metabolic, obesity and long-term conditions.
Eleanor Cross Healthcare in Northampton has been awarded funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Capital Investment Programme to develop a dedicated primary care research clinic and laboratory at Whitefields Surgery, in Camp Hill.
The investment will enable the creation of 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.
The practice hopes many patients will benefit from the clinical research, as they are currently excluded due to lack of local infrastructure or mobility limitations. According to Eleanor Cross Healthcare, the 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 partners including NHS Northamptonshire ICB, General Practice Alliance, Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust, West Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire Sport.
Eleanor Cross Healthcare expects its patients to also see the benefit of investment into research, with earlier access to new treatments and innovations, and clinical staff with additional skills, which can be translated into direct patient care.
The new research clinic and laboratory is already in development and is due to be completed over the next two years, according to Eleanor Cross Healthcare.
It is hoped that the investment will help other GP sites also engage in research, on a scale not previously seen in Northampton.