05 August 2005
More than 250 NHS organisations could lose millions of pounds in research funding under proposals announced this week.
The Department of Health consultation on NHS research and development funding proposed the creation of ten élite academic medical centres.
Currently the £650m annual budget is divided among 275 organisations. In the future, the department proposes ring-fencing £100m for the élite centres and introducing a new system for allocating the balance.
The DoH allocates £400m to support research partnerships between trusts and external organisations, such as pharmaceutical firms and medical research charities, and it insisted it would continue to fund this work. However, it warned that payments would be based on work being done.
'This will make the system fairer,' a DoH spokeswoman said. 'We are keen to ensure that anything we do does not destabilise any organisation or institution. That's why the proposals are to be introduced gradually over a couple of years.'
She added that the changes were necessary to make the system more transparent.
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