Published on: 4th December 2025
We’re currently the third best-performing mental health and learning disability NHS trust in England for recruiting participants into research studies.
Since April 2025, we’ve recruited nearly 1500 participants and we’re hoping to reach 2,000 by end of March 2026; surpassing our previous record of 1,700.
This achievement puts us alongside some of the country's most research-active trusts, including South London and Maudsley NHS (SLaM), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS and Oxford Health NHS. It demonstrates our commitment to evidence-based practice and innovation in mental health and learning disability care.
Key areas of research include a study examining treatment adherence for military veterans with hazardous alcohol use and co-occurring mental health problems.
The CHUSE trial aims to improve access to psychological therapies for children and young people experiencing distressing sensory experiences.
We are also working on a large-scale study helping people with learning disabilities and type 2 diabetes to better manage their condition.
Evidence shows that organisations with higher research participation deliver better outcomes for patients.
Dr Simon Sandhu, medical director, says: “By offering more people the opportunity to take part in research, we're ensuring our patients benefit from the latest innovations and treatments, as well as contributing to advancing knowledge in mental health and learning disabilities.
"This level of activity strengthens our ability to offer even more research opportunities in the future."