Clinical Research Departments of NHS trusts in Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

Please could you list for me which NHS trusts in Scotland currently have a Clinical Research
Department (or some relevant variant); and
Please could you indicate the number of staff each of those departments currently employ.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. 

1. For question "Please could you list for me which NHS trusts in Scotland currently have a Clinical Research Department (or some relevant variant)": 

The answer to your question is that in Scotland clinical research is embedded within our NHS which facilitates timely access to resources and a strong support infrastructure, and there are twelve research active NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Boards: 

NHS Ayrshire & Arran; 

NHS Borders; 

NHS Dumfries & Galloway; 

NHS Fife; 

NHS Forth Valley NHS Grampian; 

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde; NHS Highland; 

NHS Lanarkshire; 

NHS Lothian; 

NHS National Waiting Times Centre; and NHS Tayside. 

Additionally, within Scotland there is a network of Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) that provide a purpose-built environment for patient-oriented research. They provide access to cutting-edge clinical facilities and opportunities for research scientists to work closely with clinical researchers, and support the advancement of new therapies and treatments for patients. There are CRFs located at the following NHS Boards: 

NHS Fife; 

NHS Grampian; 

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde; NHS Highland; 

NHS Lothian; 

NHS National Waiting Times Centre; and NHS Tayside. 

Information about Research in Scotland, including CRFs, can be found at the following link: https://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/about/infrastructure 

 

2. For question "Please could you indicate the number of staff each of those departments currently employ": 

The answer to your question is that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government is not responsible for the staffing arrangements at NHS Boards in Scotland. 

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. However, you may wish to contact the individual NHS Scotland Health Boards directly who may be able to help you. 

Details of the various R&D offices within NRS can be found at: https://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/contact/regional-nodes 

Further contact information for the NHS in Scotland can be found on the NHS Inform website at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/scotlands-service-directory 

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.