Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Study team takes home MediWales innovation award

The Oxford Vaccine Study team has won the Health and Social Care Research Partnership Award with Industry, sponsored by Health and Care Research Wales, at this year’s MediWales Innovation Awards.

The team, made up of staff from across Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Public Health Wales, the Centre for Trials Research and Health and Care Research Wales, was responsible for setting up and delivering the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine trial at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board site, the first such trial in Wales.

Collaborating with national partners and working across organisational boundaries, the study was set up in record time, with nearly 500 participants recruited in the health board as part of the multi-national study.

Professor Sue Bale OBE picked up the award at the virtual ceremony, which was live streamed on MediWales channels on 2 December. She said:

“Firstly, I want to thank the participants who took part in this trial, all frontline healthcare staff, who did an amazing job coming in between shifts from all over South-East Wales.

“I’m delighted to receive this award on behalf of the whole team. From the offset, we’ve known that a vaccine is probably the only way out of this pandemic, so it’s been really exciting as well as challenging to run the first vaccine trial in Wales.

“In being the first, we’ve gained new skills and our experiences have been valuable to other COVID vaccine trials now taking place in Wales.”

Carys Thomas, Head of Policy at Health and Care Research Wales, said:

“Health and Care Research Wales is delighted to have been an award partner at the MediWales Innovation Awards for the ‘Health and Social Care Research Partnership Award with Industry'. There were many excellent examples of high quality research and our thanks go to everyone who submitted an entry.

“Many congratulations to the winners of this award for delivering the Oxford Vaccine Study so rapidly in Wales. The team, and the participants recruited to the trial, have made a real difference towards finding a lasting solution to the pandemic.”

For information on the award ceremony’s other winners, visit the MediWales website.