Southern trust launches new clinical research hub and celebrates through “discovering nature’s medicine”
Published October 9, 2026
Routes into clinical research across Northern Ireland are expanding with the opening of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s new Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) at Craigavon Area Hospital.
The CRDC is the Trust’s first dedicated facility for commercial clinical research and will give more people the opportunity to take part in research and access innovative treatments. Funded through the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG), the centre represents a significant investment in research infrastructure and the future of healthcare across the Southern Trust.
The launch also celebrated the contribution of service users, carers and staff who helped shape the identity and environment of the new facility. Working alongside the Trust’s User Involvement Team and the Research, Development and Innovation Team, people with lived experience helped create both the centre’s logo and a permanent artwork titled ‘Discovering Nature’s Medicine’ that now takes pride of place within the building. Together, the logo and artwork reflect the centre’s commitment to patient and public involvement and the value of bringing lived experience into research.
Read the full CRDC launch story and the Discovering Nature’s Medicine story on the HSC R&D website.