UK’s First NHS-Embedded Clinical Trial Site Launches in Doncaster
4 September 2025, London – Clerkenwell Health, the UK’s leading specialist in mental health clinical trials, has launched the country’s first fully NHS-embedded commercial research site dedicated to brain and mental health conditions. Developed in partnership with Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber (RDaSH) NHS Foundation Trust, the initiative sets a new standard for how trials are delivered in the UK’s most pressing area of unmet health need.
The new Doncaster site is more than a local launch: it’s a working prototype for how the UK can address long-standing barriers to brain and mental health research. It provides NHS patients with earlier access to cutting-edge investigational treatments, while reducing the friction and delays that have historically deterred global sponsors from conducting trials in the UK.
Located within an existing NHS facility and run in partnership with NHS clinicians, the Doncaster site serves a population of over 1.3 million across South Yorkshire — a region with historically limited access to clinical trials. It revitalises underused NHS infrastructure, creates local jobs, and builds long-term research capability by upskilling NHS staff.
Systemic innovation aligned with national priorities
This pioneering site is the first in a planned national network of Clerkenwell Health-initiated NHS-embedded centres, with additional locations expected across the UK by 2026. Each will be designed for long-term, scalable impact – not as a pilot, but as a blueprint for modernising UK clinical trials.
The launch also directly supports the UK Government’s ambitions outlined in the Lord O'Shaughnessy review, MHRA trial reform agenda, and 10-Year Health Plan, which call for faster, more inclusive, and more efficient clinical trials across the NHS. It further aligns with NIHR and NHS priorities around health equity, access, and workforce development.
Meeting a national need – at speed
The Doncaster launch comes at a critical time for mental health in the UK. Deaths related to drugs, alcohol, or suicide have risen by 24% since the COVID-19 pandemic, while 13-15% of working-age adults live with a long-term mental health or behavioural condition. Yet, access to effective treatment remains limited. Currently, only 23% of primary care doctors are able to identify mental health trials in their region.
Despite the urgency, domestic infrastructure for mental health trials has historically lagged behind. On average, NHS clinical trials take 250 days to set up, compared to 150 days in the US. Clerkenwell’s model is designed to cut this figure significantly - supporting the Government’s ambition to reduce set-up times and positioning the UK as a global leader in mental health innovation.
Dr Henry Fisher, Chief Scientific Officer at Clerkenwell Health, said:
“This site is a vital first step in giving the NHS the capacity and expertise to make clinical trials more accessible for mental health patients. By combining public and private strengths, our model removes referral barriers, raises clinician awareness, and streamlines patient access. Clerkenwell brings deep regulatory expertise, enabling the NHS to focus on what it does best - delivering outstanding patient care.”
We had the pleasure of welcoming a group of local leaders, policymakers and partners for a series of private briefings and a first look at our new clinical trial - including Sally Jameson (MP for Doncaster Central), Daniel Fell (CEO, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce) and Councillor David Nevett (Cabinet Member for Adults, Wellbeing and Culture, City of Doncaster Council).
A strategic partnership at the heart of the community
RDaSH is a distinctive and unusual organisation, with a longstanding record of commercial partnerships and research excellence. It is a community-led NHS body, whose mission is to ‘nurture the power in our communities’. It works closely with peer-led groups, community organisations and GPs to go beyond the neighbourhood health model outlined in the NHS 10-year plan, and embed its work into every community.
This approach matters for translational research and ensures trials are not exclusionary in their design. The Trust’s Board is committed to its research improvement promise and hosts a regional collaboration to promote diversity in research practice. These capabilities make it well placed to align with Clerkenwell Health’s vision – and a natural partner for this work in the years ahead.
Toby Lewis, Chief Executive of RDaSH, added:
“Access to innovation and research excellence matters to providing great care for people in every community locally. The Trust’s clinicians and leadership are deeply committed to this first step supporting the wider mental health research mission for the country, launched in 2024. We welcome the pace and enterprise the partnership with Clerkenwell Health will bring to England’s newest city – Doncaster.”
To mark the launch, a high-profile event will take place on 11 September, featuring panels with world-leading researchers and both local and national policymakers. Speakers will explore how models like Clerkenwell Health’s can help address the UK’s mental health crisis while building sustainable research capacity within the NHS.
Heather Rice, Director of Research and Innovation at RDaSH NHS Foundaiton Trust, explains what this partnership means for the NHS and how it strengthens national research capacity.