Swansea Trials Unit (STU) is part of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Registered Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) Network and receives funding from Health and Care Research Wales.
We aim to improve the health of the people of Wales and beyond by enhancing the number, progress and quality of trials in health & social care with particular reference to secondary and emergency care, notably in gastroenterology and mental health.
We offer methodological advice and support to clinical trials, both in designing new trials and in applying for grants. After successful applications, we work within trial teams to develop, initiate, conduct, manage, analyse and report funded studies.
In partnership with a large group of collaborators, we have run nearly 50 trials valued at more than £20m.
The Swansea Trials Unit (STU) is a service orientated UKCRC registered clinical trials unit that looks to support the technical delivery of trials and other rigorous studies across a wide range of health and social care research foci. The unit has specific recent experience supporting trials and studies related to pre-hospital care, colorectal surgery, diabetes and care of people with neurological deficits and challenges. It has specific methodological research interests in the area of patient reported outcome measures (PROMS) and the expanding use of routine data for trials.
The Swansea Trials Unit work focuses on service led research meaning the research undertaken here is work to facilitate the work of the broad themes we have, and engage with external partners in industry and within the NHS to provide high quality support and insight into running and implementing a trial.
Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) measure patients’ health or quality of life from their perspective using self-completed questionnaires. PROMs can be collected before and after a procedure or at regular intervals in chronic long-term conditions. PROM measurement and application is vital to provide high-quality healthcare by evaluating the performance of health care providers and guiding NHS reforms. PROMs also provide a platform to involve patients and their carers in the provision of healthcare and shaping the NHS. Professor Hayley Hutchings has secured grants as PROMs/quality of life methodological lead in excess of £6 million from funders including the National Institute for Health Research, Health and Care Research Wales, Scar Free Foundation, British Society for Audiology, Boots and Bristol Meyers Squibb/Pfizer.
