Leeds has had more people sign up for a potentially crucial Covid-19 trial than anywhere else in the UK.
According to the NHS Digital Figures, 3,940 Leeds residents have signed up to the Covid-19 Vaccine Research Registry, which was launched earlier this month.
So far the trial has had more than 6,600 people register for the programme, with a whopping 3,940 from Leeds.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) launched a city-wide multidisciplinary Covid-19 Vaccine Trial Delivery Team alongside a number of partners, to combine the resources and infrastructure required to recruit large numbers of participants, in Leeds, Harrogate and York.
Speaking about the figures Dr Phil Wood, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has signed up to be part of Covid-19 vaccines research.
“An effective vaccine against the coronavirus is key to end the devastating impact the virus has had on the world and will help restore normality within the NHS.
“For this to happen it's important for large-scale vaccine studies that we get as many people as possible from our community to sign up to take part, to give researchers a better understanding of the effectiveness of each vaccine.”
“Our aim as a Trust to start vaccine trials in October this year in Leeds, Harrogate and York.”
Dr Ruth Burnett, GP and medical director for both Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust and the Leeds GP Confederation, said: “Working together, LCH and the GP Confederation are supporting a true city-wide approach. It means that eligible patients at any GP practice in Leeds will be able to take part in the trial.
"Opening up access to all eligible patients means that people from the communities that have been disproportionately affected by Covid19 will have the opportunity to take part in the vaccine trials.
“This is a key step in our aim to open out the opportunity for participation in research to all patients in the city, without putting an increased burden on an already stretched primary care system.”
To find out more about COVID-19 Vaccines and to register visit www.nhs.uk/researchcontact.
