“Wales has played a key role in the UK-wide research effort at a pace and scale that has never been seen before”

The Minister for Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan has praised the research community in Wales for their part in tackling COVID-19 and highlighted the critical role of research evidence in tackling future health and social care challenges.

Health and Care Research Wales will publish its annual report later today (Thursday 14 October) at a conference which will showcase an unprecedented time for research that has included the set-up of 110 Covid-19 studies and the recruitment of almost 50,000 volunteers in Wales.

Welsh Government also invested £3m to establish the Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre which has enabled rapid access to key international research findings and evidence to inform Welsh Government and NHS Wales decision-making.

Ms Morgan said: “It’s important to recognise how far we’ve come, and it would not have been possible without the commitment and skills of our research community, and the people who stepped forward to contribute to the studies and make the research possible.

“Through Health and Care Research Wales, Welsh Government promotes and supports health and care research to ensure it is of the highest international scientific quality, is relevant to the needs and challenges of health and social care in Wales, and improves the lives of patients, people and communities.

“The use of research in health and social care will be crucial as the Welsh Government delivers on its Programme for Government.”

Amid the challenges of the pandemic, the wider research endeavour continued apace with 29 new funding awards from Health and Care Research Wales amounting to a value of £6.3m. The Wales Cancer Bank, funded by Health and Care Research Wales, was also named as the 2020 UK Biobank of the Year by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Tissue Directory and Coordination Centre.

The Health and Care Research Wales 2021 conference, Learning and Looking Forward will feature sessions on learning from the pandemic, knowledge mobilisation and finding transformative ways of working, as well embracing inclusion, diversity and equality.

Speakers will include Dr Rob Orford, Chief Scientific Adviser for Health at Welsh Government; Dr Andrew Goodall, the outgoing Director General for Health and Social Services, NHS Wales Chief Executive; Professor Kieran Walshe, Director of Health and Care Research Wales; Dr Esther Mukuka, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, National Institute for Health Research, and Iain Bell, National Director for Public Health Knowledge and Research at Public Health Wales

Professor Kieran Walshe, Director of Health and Care Research Wales said, “I am very proud in our annual report and conference this year to showcase some of the efforts of the Welsh research community including the partnerships involved in multiple vaccine trials and research studies for new treatments. Now we must start to look forward and are tackling the future research agenda, including long COVID, the recovery of health and care services and learning from many innovations developed during the pandemic.

“One thing is certain – research and the evidence base it provides will continue to play a significant role in effectively tackling some of the health and social care challenges we now face.”