The Haematology Research team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), were recently recognised for their work on commercial trials.

Biruk Asfaw, Haematology Senior Research Nurse, and his team received the “Commercial Research” Recognition Award at the NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands Cancer Annual Meeting.

Over the last three years, the Haematology team at QEHB have opened over 20 commercial studies to recruitment.

Many of these trials provide pioneering treatments for patients who have exhausted all other available treatments.

The trials, which have the potential to be practice-changing, cover a range of haematological conditions including leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and amyloidosis, as well as rarer conditions.

These trials are often complex to deliver and require a dedicated team to work together.

The studies are often run across several sites, all of which receive reputational benefit of being involved.

At QEHB, the team are based in the Centre for Clinical Haematology, and see patients across the hospital site, with the Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) also available when required.

“I was delighted to receive the award on behalf of the haematology team here at QEHB,” said Biruk.

“Our team of nurses, trial coordinators and data managers have worked tirelessly over the last few years to make QEHB a first choice for commercial studies.

“The team looks after our patients, making sure their journey through a clinical trial is as smooth as possible.

“Several big pharmaceutical companies have a number of studies ongoing with us, as they know how experienced we now are in delivering trials.

 “We’re now in a position to choose the most pioneering trials to get involved in, and we try and look for studies that offer the lowest risk and the best possible outcomes.”

An upcoming trial is likely to feature engineered genes infused back into a patient’s body, making UHB one of the first trusts in the country to undertake innovative trials of that nature.