Clerkenwell Health opens first NHS‑embedded mental health research site in Doncaster

Clerkenwell Health has launched the UK’s first fully NHS‑embedded commercial research site dedicated to brain and mental health, in partnership with Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH). Located within an existing NHS facility in Doncaster, the site serves over 1.3 million people across South Yorkshire. This initiative offers NHS patients quicker access to cutting‑edge investigational treatments while addressing long‑standing delays that have discouraged global sponsors from conducting trials in the UK.

By utilising underused NHS infrastructure and collaborating closely with NHS clinicians, the site also creates local jobs, enhances research capability through upskilling, and boosts workforce development. Rather than a pilot, it is the first in a planned national network of permanently embedded sites expected to expand across the UK by 2026, designed for long‑term scalable impact.

The model supports the UK Government’s ambitions for faster, more inclusive and efficient clinical trials as outlined in recent reforms, aligning with the Lord O’Shaughnessy review, MHRA trial reform, the 10‑Year Health Plan, and NIHR and NHS priorities concerning equity, access and workforce development. The launch comes at a critical time. With deaths linked to drugs, alcohol or suicide rising by 24 percent since the pandemic and 13–15 percent of working‑age adults living with long‑term mental health or behavioural conditions, improved access to effective treatment has never been more urgent. NHS trial set‑up times averaging 250 days compared with 150 days in the US highlight the need for this accelerated and patient‑centred model.

Dr Henry Fisher, Chief Scientific Officer at Clerkenwell Health, emphasised that the partnership removes referral barriers, raises clinician awareness, and streamlines patient access by combining regulatory expertise with NHS care delivery. RDaSH’s community‑focused approach and history of excellence in commercial partnerships make it an ideal collaborator in embedding research within vulnerable and underserved communities.

A high‑profile launch event is scheduled for 11 September, featuring world‑leading researchers and both local and national policymakers. The event will highlight how this model can address the UK’s mental health crisis while building sustainable research capacity within the NHS.