Work on a new £2.2m mental health research and development facility has begun, NHS bosses have announced
Devon Partnership NHS Trust said the facility would be on the Wonford House Site in Exeter and marked a “significant milestone” in its ambition to expand access to clinical research and improve health outcomes for communities in Devon
The trust said the facility was expected to open in autumn 2026 and would have specially designed therapy rooms and a dedicated laboratory
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Tobit Emmens, associate director of research and development, said: “One day, we hope to play a small part in finding more effective treatments for common conditions such as dementia, anxiety and depression.”
The trust said the facility had been part-funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and was being delivered by Vanguard Healthcare Solutions
The trust said the new facility formed part of its wider strategy to ” increase research participation and address inequalities in access to clinical trials in the field of mental health”
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It said the research undertaken at the centre would support commercial and non-commercial clinical research studies across a broad range of specialties, including mental health, dementia, children and adolescent mental health services and physical health conditions experienced by people living with mental illness
Emmens said the trust had wanted a dedicated place for research for about 20 years
He said: “This gives us an opportunity to make research more available to all sorts of people – including those with a range of mental health needs
“We are building our mood disorder research clinic here, too, working with the University of Exeter and creating opportunities to trial novel treatments.”
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The new facility will include:
A dedicated laboratory and clinical trials pharmacy
Physical health assessment and infusion room
Specially designed therapy rooms
Flexible spaces that support virtual follow-up appointments
Modern reception, waiting, office and staff welfare facilities
The trust said by combining a central research hub with the ability to deliver aspects of research activity in patients’ homes, it aimed to improve recruitment, retention and participation in clinical trials from underserved communities
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