Published: 18 September 2025

A new report, commissioned by the Association of Medical Research Charities and Wellcome, has found that clinical research funded by charities and the public sector contributed £72.7 billion to the UK economy between 2014 and 2024. The analysis, carried out by Frontier Economics, reveals the ‘triple dividend’ this type of research brings to the UK: unlocking growth, supporting the NHS and improving lives.

Read the report

Clinical research is the foundation of medical progress, turning scientific discoveries into innovations that improve patients’ lives. This report shines a spotlight on the extensive benefits to the UK economy and society from non-commercial clinical research, which is funded by charities and public sector bodies.

Non-commercial clinical research unlocks economic growth through employment, the creation of new commercial opportunities and wider productivity benefits. It supports the NHS by driving improvements in treatment and care, and increasing staff satisfaction and retention. And it brings direct benefits to patients through improved health outcomes and more effective treatments. 

The report demonstrates that non-commercial clinical research makes an irreplaceable contribution to the research ecosystem. It complements commercial research, often addressing underserved areas that are less commercially attractive. These include prevention and public health research, which are a key focus of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan. More broadly, non-commercial clinical research contributed to over 32,000 research publications between 2015 and 2024. These were cited 2.85 times more than the world average.

Non-commercial clinical research also supports infrastructure and the workforce, providing underpinning foundations for commercial research. It enhances knowledge exchange between researchers, clinicians and industry. The report also demonstrates the strong connection between commercial and non-commercial funders – papers backed by both receive almost double the number of citations as non-collaborative publications. 

The report includes several case studies, which showcase and quantify the impact of non-commercial clinical research. For example:

• The START Dementia programme improved carers’ quality of life, valued at £10 million a year. If this was scaled across the UK, benefits could reach £1 billion.
• The weight management plan from the DiRECT Diabetes trial could reduce patients’ need for prescription medication and save the NHS over £1 billion.
• Adopting the STarT Back screening tool for lower back pain could increase the productivity of the UK economy by £5.1 billion by reducing sickness absence.

Nicola Perrin, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities said: 

“This report showcases the far-reaching benefits that charities and public bodies bring to the UK through non-commercial research. This is a triple win for the economy, for the NHS and for patients. “As the Government implements its 10 Year Health Plan, the report highlights the value of embedding research in the NHS, as well as the importance of supporting both commercial and non-commercial funding to unlock growth and drive improvements in health for people across the UK.”

Beth Thompson, Executive Director for Policy and Partnerships at Wellcome, said:

“Clinical research backed by the public sector and charities is right at the heart of scientific innovation. Complementing research by private companies, it drives new discoveries that transform our knowledge of disease, in turn helping to better diagnose and treat patients. “This report makes it clear that non-commercial research makes an irreplaceable contribution to UK R&D. With continued and committed support to embed research and innovation in the health service we can boost growth and improve people’s lives.”

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and CEO of the National Institute for Health and Care Research said: 

“Non-commercial research funded by charities and public sector bodies gives a ‘triple dividend’ to the UK economy and society by improving the lives of patients and the public, increasing NHS staff retention, and driving economic growth. 

I am delighted to see many powerful examples of NIHR research featured in this report which have had an impact on both the health and wealth of the nation. Working with the AMRC and other partners in this sector, the NIHR will continue to deliver non-commercial clinical research that maximises the public benefit, improves the health and care system and contributes to the growth of our economy."

Lord James O'Shaughnessy, said:

“This Frontier Economics and AMRC report makes clear that clinical trials and wider health R&D are fundamental to the UK’s long-term success. It provides further strong evidence that delivering more trials within the NHS – both non-commercial and commercial – brings extensive health and wealth benefits.

“Since 2023 there has been a sharp focus from successive governments on re-establishing the UK clinical trials sector as world leading. Progress is being made but we need to move faster and be more ambitious. This report underlines the urgency of that mission.”

Dr Glenn Wells, Deputy Executive Chair, Medical Research Council said:

“This report highlights the vital role of non-commercial clinical research for improving health outcomes, supporting the NHS, and for driving economic growth. UKRI is proud to play a major role in this space, contributing 35% of the UK’s total direct funding for non-commercial clinical research in 2022, through the work of councils like MRC, EPSRC, BBSRC and ESRC. 

“Our funding supports a wide range of clinical research, including for the development of novel therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostics. These efforts help to accelerate diagnosis, improve treatments, prevent illness and save lives, as well as lay the foundation for healthcare spin outs and external investment.  

“We welcome this report’s findings and remain committed to working with partners across the UK, including AMRC, charities, public funders, the NHS and industry to support non-commercial clinical research that improves health, saves lives and enables a future-ready NHS.”

Dr Janet Valentine, Executive Director of Innovation and Research Policy at The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said:

“We are very pleased to see this publication on the value of non-commercial research, which evidences how public and charity-funded studies improve health, support research infrastructure and staff, and benefit the wider economy.

“This report nicely complements previous work commissioned by the ABPI demonstrating the value of industry clinical research to the UK economy, NHS, patients and research and development. Taken together, these two reports illustrate the importance of the life sciences and huge contribution commercial and non-commercial clinical research collective make to UK health and prosperity.” 

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"The British Heart Foundation has been funding lifesaving research for more than 60 years, helping to revolutionise treatments and change the lives of people with cardiovascular disease across the NHS. This report highlights the power of non-commercial clinical research to address area of unmet clinical need . Commercial and non-commercial clinical research are not mutually exclusive, and they are often complementary. For example, non-commercial research is often the bedrock on which new drug therapies or diagnostics are based.”

Dr Catherine Elliott, Director of Research at Cancer Research UK, said:

"Non-commercial clinical research delivers better, kinder treatments for people with cancer. This report demonstrates that, with the right support in place, non-commercial clinical research boosts the health and wealth of the UK. Trials like STAMPEDE, our large-scale study of treatments for prostate cancer, show what's possible. But too many trials are taking too long to get started. We need streamlined processes and greater NHS capacity to deliver them at pace and scale."

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research and Clinical at Diabetes UK, said:

“Charity-funded research is unique because it is not only supported but also shaped by the very people it seeks to benefit. Uniting patients with the scientific and medical communities can spark innovative ideas, accelerate progress, and improve lives. The Diabetes UK–funded DiRECT study is a powerful example of how charity investment in an understudied area has delivered life-changing results, with thousands of people with type 2 diabetes now in remission and projected savings to the NHS of over £1 billion. This shows that when people with lived experience of a condition come together to fund and shape research, the impact ripples far and wide - transforming healthcare and society as a whole.”

Professor Lucy Donaldson, Director of Research at Versus Arthritis:

“This timely report from the AMRC highlights the crucial importance of non-commercial clinical research in the UK. This research not only improves the lives of people across the UK but also has wider benefits for the economy and in supporting the NHS. The STarTBack Screening tool, which our funding helped develop, is a great example of the power of non-commercial clinical research. This tool has had real health benefits for people with low back pain whilst also providing significant cost savings to the NHS and supporting our economy by helping people back into work. We are proud that our research investment is not only improving the lives of the 10 million plus people living with arthritis in the UK but is also supporting the NHS and fuelling economic growth.”

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:

"This report shows how crucial non-commercial research is to UK life sciences, driving improvements in patient outcomes, the NHS and the economy. Charities and public research bodies are uniquely positioned to focus on neglected conditions, such as prevention, and support early-stage research that reduces risk for private investment. To maximise the benefits for society, we must embed research within the NHS, address the real-terms decline in quality-related research funding and better support the next generation of clinical academics. We welcome the findings and will continue working with partners to champion non-commercial research to drive UK health, prosperity and scientific leadership."

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