Study Set-Up: Trust level set up report
Published 28th April 2025
Updated 20th January 2026
Purpose
This report will be published each month starting in April 2025 alongside the UK Clinical Research Delivery Key Performance Indicator Report (KPI) to provide an additional monthly snapshot of site-level commercial study set-up performance. The aim of this report is to take initial steps in improving granularity of study set-up activity to support closer to real time monitoring of system performance.
We are introducing this interim report as part of the transition to a real-time data dashboard to complement the Research Delivery Data and Intelligence (RDDI) Programme. The RDDI Programme has been established to address many of the challenges with the collection of clinical research delivery data, including data on study set-up.
Currently, this report includes data from England sites only. We are working with system partners across the devolved nations to align improvements and will incorporate additional insights to this report as new data becomes available.
Background
Clinical research is key to the vision of building a health and social care system fit for the future and to drive economic growth for this country, as laid out in the Health and Growth missions of the government. Research has already driven widespread improvements in care and outcomes for patients and the public and will continue to be a pivotal part of reform plans, together with supporting the wider life sciences sector via innovation and investment.
All four UK nations are fully committed to working with partners across the clinical delivery system via the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme to make the UK a world leader in clinical research. To achieve this, the Prime Minister has stated that we will turbo-charge medical research and deliver better patient care by accelerating clinical trial set-up and cutting bureaucracy.
We would like to increase visibility and transparency of our research portfolio by enhancing the data we already publish monthly via the UK KPI Report. The first step of this work is to publish this report to enhance the two current study set-up KPIs, at a site-level:
- Proportion of commercial contract studies open to recruitment within 60 days of HRA approval letter
- Proportion of commercial contract studies recruiting first participant within 30 days of sites opening to recruitment
Trust level reporting on set-up for commercial contract studies
Report date: 20 January 2026
The following data tables show trust-level set-up performance of commercial contract studies:
- opening to recruitment after receiving HRA approval during September 2025
- recruiting their first participant after reporting being ready to start during September 2025
Trust level reporting on set-up for commercial contract studies which received HRA approval during September 2025
| Trust Name | ODS Code | Number of studies that received HRA approval between 1 September 2025 and 30 September 2025 where the site has indicated participation | Proportion of studies open to recruitment [reporting ready to start] within 60 days of receiving HRA approval | Number of studies opened to recruitment within 60 days | Number of studies opened to recruitment after 60 days | Number of studies not yet open to recruitment or date not reported | Median days from HRA approval to date site ready to start [only for studies with both date of HRA approval and date site ready to start recorded] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barts Health NHS Trust | R1H | 11 | 18% | 2 | 1 | 8 | 53 |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | RAL | 7 | 14% | 1 | 2 | 4 | 73 |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | RYJ | 6 | 33% | 2 | 0 | 4 | 54.5 |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RAE | 5 | 60% | 3 | 1 | 1 | 53 |
| The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RTD | 5 | 20% | 1 | 0 | 4 | 44 |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RRV | 4 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 3 | 76 |
| University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | RHM | 4 | 25% | 1 | 1 | 2 | 44.5 |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RGT | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | - |
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | RM3 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 3 | 0 | 84 |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RTH | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | - |
| Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust | RCU | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | - |
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | RRK | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | - |
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | RWE | 3 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 2 | 71 |
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | RH8 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 | - |
| St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RJ7 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 | 76 |
| Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | RXX | 2 | 100% | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21.5 |
| The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust | RPY | 2 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 | 71 |
| The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust | RET | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 | - |
| University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust | RK9 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 52 |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | RYR | 2 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 | 77 |
| Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | RJ8 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 77 |
| East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust | RWH | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | RVR | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70 |
| Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust | RJ1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RN5 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | RQX | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | RWA | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RJZ | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust | RW5 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | RR8 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | RJ2 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust | R1K | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | R0A | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust | RRE | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RM1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66 |
| Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | RNU | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | RHW | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | REF | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RGM | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70 |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | RD1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust | TAH | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | R0B | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 64 |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | RTP | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 |
| Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust | RX3 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 58 |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust | RCX | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust | RXW | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67 |
| University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust | RA7 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RBL | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
Trust level reporting on set-up for commercial contract studies ready to start during September 2025
| Trust Name | ODS Code | Number of studies where sites have reported they are open to recruitment [date site ready to start] between 1 September 2025 and 30 September 2025 where the site has indicated participation | Proportion of studies recruiting first participant within 30 days of site opening to recruitment (except where this is not expected in the study milestone plan (for example rare disease studies) | Number of studies recruiting first participant within 30 days | Number of studies recruiting first participant after 30 days | Number of studies not yet recruited first participant or first participant not reported | Median days from date site ready to start to first participant [only for studies with both date site ready to start and first patient first visit date recorded] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barts Health NHS Trust | R1H | 6 | 50% | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9.5 |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | RR8 | 5 | 40% | 2 | 0 | 3 | 15.5 |
| The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RTD | 5 | 20% | 1 | 1 | 3 | 36.5 |
| Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust | RJ1 | 4 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 3 | 41 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | R0A | 4 | 25% | 1 | 0 | 3 | 29 |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RTH | 4 | 75% | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| The Christie NHS Foundation Trust | RBV | 4 | 25% | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust | RPY | 4 | 25% | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust | R1K | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | - |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | REF | 3 | 33% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | RAL | 3 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 2 | 48 |
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | RRK | 3 | 67% | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust | RA7 | 3 | 67% | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RAE | 2 | 50% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RGT | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 |
| Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | RWA | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 | - |
| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | REM | 2 | 0% | 0 | 2 | 0 | 68 |
| North Bristol NHS Trust | RVJ | 2 | 50% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | RHU | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 | - |
| Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RGM | 2 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 | 37 |
| Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RA2 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 36.5 |
| Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RHQ | 2 | 0% | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36.5 |
| The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust | RNA | 2 | 0% | 0 | 2 | 0 | 56.5 |
| The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust | RL4 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28.5 |
| University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust | RK9 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 | - |
| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RQM | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 |
| George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | RLT | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | RYJ | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RJZ | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RBQ | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Medway NHS Foundation Trust | RPA | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust | RRE | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | RD8 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| NIHR RDN: North London | RRDN07 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| NIHR RDN: North West | RRDN03 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RM1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | RTF | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 |
| Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust | RX1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | RD1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust | RNZ | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust | RCU | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | RH5 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust | RV5 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RTR | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | RXX | 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | RHM | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 |
| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | RKB | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | RWE | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | - |
| University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust | RJE | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 82 |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | RYR | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 53 |
| York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | RCB | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 |
Data Source
This report uses data collected for commercial contract studies on the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) Portfolio (for England sites only), captured through the NIHR’s RDN’s Central Portfolio Management System (CPMS). Commercial contract studies are defined as studies sponsored and fully funded by the life sciences industry. The indicators include data for both interventional and observational commercial studies.
To give sites enough time to reach and record endpoints for these indicators (60 or 30 days), a 4 month reporting lag will be applied to this monthly report, allowing sufficient time for these timepoints to elapse and for sites to record them in the LPMS.
To ensure NIHR RDN are able to effectively monitor the national portfolio, and in line with DHSC’s Terms and Conditions for NIHR RDN support, NIHR RDN require reporting of activity data on via Local Portfolio Management Systems (LPMSs) provided by each RRDN. This data feeds into RDN’s Central Portfolio Management System (CPMS) from which national reports are generated. These systems have been employed to gather the additional data points required for visibility of site-level set-up times, utilising existing fields and data definitions.
Data Quality and Limitations
To enable site-level reporting of this data, DHSC and NHS England issued a formal requirement in March 2025 for NHS Trusts in England to provide additional data for commercial contract studies (from 1st December 2024 onwards) on the NIHR RDN Portfolio. The requirement includes sites to update two fields that are essential to linking site participation to studies within NIHR CPMS and monitoring progress.
| Data Item | Data Definition |
|---|---|
| Date Site Selected | The date on the sponsor email received by the site providing the minimum defined documents to enable site to commence arrangement and/or confirmation of local capacity and capability as applicable representing that the site has been selected to take part in the study. Note: we will continue to collect HRA approval letter date as part of the data to assess the KPI at study level. |
| Date Site Ready to Start | The date that the site is ready to start (i.e., recruit study participants, provide data or tissue) defined by all other requirements to start, additional to contract signature and/or Statement of Activity agreement, are satisfied. |
We are aware that there are instances in which the study sponsor does not wish to open a site to recruitment within the 60-day timeline e.g. not included in the first wave of site activation. These studies are still included in the data and will impact on the indicator, we will continue to work with system partners to assess how best to refine this data as this report develops.
Method
Indicator: Proportion of commercial contract studies open to recruitment within 60 days of HRA approval letter
- For each month, this indicator is calculated by collating all the commercial contract studies at each site held on the CPMS that received HRA approval in that given month, where the site has indicated participation, and then calculating what proportion of these studies then opened to recruitment within 60 days of HRA approval.
- The start point is the date a study receives HRA approval. HRA provides NIHR RDN with this data each month.
- The end point is the date the site is ready to start recruitment. This date is entered into Date Site Ready to Start field in the LPMS.
- The median number of days from HRA approval to date site ready to start is calculated by determining the middle value in the data set for each site. It only includes studies that have recorded both their start and end points in the system.
Indicator: Proportion of commercial contract studies recruiting first participant within 30 days of sites opening to recruitment
- For each month, this indicator is calculated by collating all the commercial contract studies at each site on the CPMS that were ready to start in that month (where the site has indicated participation) and then calculating what proportion of these studies recruited within 30 days of being ready to start.
- The start point is the date entered into ‘Date Site Ready to Start’ field in the LPMS.
- The end point is the date entered into ‘First Patient First Visit Date field in the LPMS.
- The median number of dates from date site ready to start to first participant recruited is calculated by determining the middle value in the data set for each site. It only includes studies that have recorded their start and end points in the system.
