https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/our-research/research-activity/

Research activity

Scientist in a lab, wearing a lab coat, with a Bunsen burner

Our long-term commitment to instigating, supporting and delivering cutting-edge research means there are a wide variety of research projects under way at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) at any given time.

Every year around 200 research projects are started, while at any one time there are roughly 500 research projects active at the Trust.

All research taking place at GOSH is structured around our six clinical areas:

  • Critical Care and Cardio-Respiratory
  • Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services
  • Infection, Cancer and Immunity
  • Medicine
  • Neurosciences
  • Surgery

This work is strengthened by collaborative research conducted with teams from the five academic programmes of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH). Academics at ICH and clinicians at GOSH work together to continue our integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood disease.

Since many staff hold appointments at both institutions, GOSH and ICH researchers are able to translate research undertaken in laboratories into actual trials in the hospital in the below areas. We can ensure research offers a real benefit to the children at GOSH, elsewhere in the NHS and internationally.

  • Developmental Biology and Cancer
  • Developmental Neurosciences
  • Genetics and Genomic Medicine
  • Infection, Immunity, Inflammation and Physiological Medicine
  • Population, Policy and Practice

Clinical trial performance

The National Institute for Health Research's (NIHR) aim is to ensure clinical research is conducted efficiently and effectively, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the UK as a centre for research. All NHS organisations in receipt of NIHR funding are required to report their performance against two metrics on a quarterly basis:

  • Performance in Initiating: the length of time it has taken to open studies where GOSH has been selected as a site in the past 12 months.
  • Performance in Delivering: the number of commercial contract clinical trials that recruit their agreed number of participants within the agreed time frame.

Further information on why this is measured, and the NIHR’s official guidance and requirements, can be found on the NIHR website.

We submit quarterly reports to the NIHR setting out our performance against these metrics.

The publication deadline for Q1 23-24 has now been reported as 31 July 2023. The information for these submissions must also be displayed on our website, therefore two reports shall be displayed.

These data are available below and will be updated quarterly:

For clinical trials where GOSH was selected as a site between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 (Q1). Once we have been selected, we aim to confirm the trial within 40 days and recruit a patient within 30 days of confirming as a site. If the benchmarks were not met, for any reason(s), then we have provided information as to how this occurred and are working with sponsors and clinical teams to refine and improve our processes where appropriate.

For commercial contract clinical trials that closed to recruitment between between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 (Q1). Commercial contract clinical trials will usually have a contractually agreed target number of participants, and a date agreed to recruit them. Once the trial closes to recruitment, we report whether we've met these targets and the reason(s) why we have not been able to meet them if appropriate.

The previously submitted reports can be viewed on the NIHR website.