A study by The University of Manchester published in the journal Brain found NHS recruitment into commercial clinical trials had collapsed by 44% over the past five years.

Dr Aiste Adomaviciene, lead researcher from Manchester's Division of Psychology and Mental Health, said: ‘The NHS has world-class expertise and access to diverse patient groups, but without new investment and streamlined systems, we risk missing out on breakthroughs in mental health treatments.'

The research found private contract research organisations had surged ahead, offering dedicated facilities, slicker operations and higher payments to participants.

It said pharmaceutical companies were now choosing these private firms over the NHS and universities to run early-stage mental health trials.

The report, which was supported by the UK Government's Office for Life Sciences and the National Institute for Health and Care Research calls for urgent reforms, called for:

• faster approvals – cutting the red tape that slows NHS trial delivery
• flexible design – letting participants choose between home visits, clinic appointments or online check-ins
• specialist centres – building dedicated hubs for mental health trials inside major NHS trusts
• smarter promotion – using social media campaigns and testimonials to boost awareness and trust.
  
  

 

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Mental health problems blight too many lives. We're determined to bring the latest advances in medical science to bear to tackle mental health, and the Mental Health Goals Programme is our plan to do just that - working with industry, academia, patients and the NHS.

‘We've secured hundreds of millions in public-private investment in clinical trials, we've put £42.7m behind new mental health research centres, and we're committed to cutting red tape to speed up the lead times for clinical trials.'