Clinical expertise

More medical research is conducted per head of population in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe. Clinicians in Scotland have developed long standing clinical and biomedical expertise in a wide range of disease areas, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease and other disease areas. This is complemented by more fundamental research being carried out in the Universities.

In the NHS, Scotland has a single healthcare provider and each patient has a unique patient identifier. Scotland also has one of the largest population based record linkage systems. Disease registers in diabetes, renal disease, stroke, child health, mental health and many others have grown from local initiatives into national commodities.

The NHS Research Scotland Permissions Coordinating Centre (NRS Permissions CC) provides a contact point for those wishing to conduct multicentre clinical research - both commercial and non-commercial within Scotland. Standard contracts are available that enable companies to conduct clinical studies anywhere in Scotland.