Research into cutting-edge medical treatments for patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has generated £140m in external research funding over the last five years, new figures have revealed.
Between April 2020 and March 2025, the Trust recruited more than 117,000 participants into 1,460 active research and innovation projects through 487 projects with healthtech and life sciences companies, with several studies representing national and international firsts in their respective fields.
The research spans artificial intelligence, advanced therapies, digital pathology innovation, experimental medicine trials and real-world data studies funded through industry partnerships, research grants, NIHR funding and commercial studies. This is also possible thanks to the support of all patients and participants and the Trust exceeded its strategic targets, recruiting 17,000 more participants than its goal of 100,000 and last year became the UK’s largest recruiter of patients to cancer studies.
These latest figures are revealed ahead of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s annual Research and Innovation Conference which takes place on Thursday 10 July in Leeds. The event brings together experts from across healthcare, research, academia and industry to showcase the latest insight and ground-breaking research and innovation. The conference will outline the Trust’s ambitions to help shape the future healthcare and will bring together partners across the research and innovation eco-system, demonstrating the strength of collaboration and partnership-working in the city.
Professor Phil Wood, chief executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our vision is to ensure that research and innovation are at the heart of how we deliver and improve our services to patients – ensuring every patient and staff member has the opportunity to take part in research and I would like to extend my thanks to all of those involved including our patients and participants. These latest results show how we’ve transformed our research infrastructure to work responsively with partners ranging from small enterprises to global corporates and national funding partners to charitable organisations to directly benefit patients by providing access to pioneering treatments.
“This annual conference, the Trust’s biggest yet, is testament to our deep commitment to collaboration. By working with all our partners, we can bring the latest healthtech advancements to patients’ bedside and actively support economic growth beyond our role as a leading healthcare provider. We will continue to build on these achievements to support the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences innovation.”
The conference, leading with the theme, shaping future healthcare, will feature more than 70 speakers, workshops and demonstrations and is sponsored by industry partners, B Braun, Brady, Exponential-e, Siemens Healthineers, Hevi AI powered by RadConsult Teleradiology, The Barcode Warehouse and Johnson and Johnson Medtech. The conference is supported by main sponsor, Leeds Hospital Charity and is expected to attract around 400 delegates from the Trust and its partners.
It will showcase some recent research and innovation examples which help cement the Trust’s position as a centre for world-class research, innovation and pioneering new treatments. This includes the latest results from a UK-wide FLAIR trial which marks a major breakthrough in the treatment of leukaemia and a new AI chest X-ray software which speeds up diagnosis to help improve patient care.
Professor Wood added: “These examples, many of which will be highlighted at the Conference, perfectly illustrate how our clinical teams and partners are transforming patient care with pioneering surgical techniques, AI-powered diagnostics and global data collaborations. We’re proud to lead clinical, academic and industry research that makes a real difference to patients’ lives, and focussed on working with our partners across health and care to deliver the ambition in the NHS 10 year plan.”
The Trust’s research success is supported by significant infrastructure investment, including the Innovation Pop-Up launched in 2021 and plans to transform the Old Medical School into a globally recognised healthtech innovation hub.
Leeds works in partnership with NIHR, hosting a Clinical Research Facility running over 100 early-stage clinical trials, a Biomedical Research Centre, and the HealthTech Research Centre, with the latter two recently receiving a £4.28 million boost to expand their work. These resources form part of a growing innovation network extending from local partnerships to collaborations across Europe and the Middle East.
For more information about the Conference, please visit R&I Annual Conference 2025 – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust