Our Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is a 220 metre-squared access-controlled, self-contained, bespoke clinical research area, based within Alder Hey Hospital, with a full range of medical, surgical, community and mental health paediatric specialities.
The CRF is ideally located for patients, visitors and principal investigators and is close to the emergency department, intensive care, imaging suites and clinical laboratories. Our bright modern facility operates to the highest standards and has undergone numerous successful inspections in accordance with UK Clinical Trials Legislation, EU Directives and MHRA GCP compliance.
The facility was co-designed with children, young people and their families to optimise user experience and patient safety through integration with main hospital facilities and services. The facility has specialist expertise in blood sampling in children of all ages, handling small-volume samples and is the only UK paediatric CRF with dedicated paediatric clinical pharmacologists.
Specific features and facilities of the CRF
- Two inpatient ensuite overnight facilities for children and guardian
- Six-day case chair spaces
- Three consultation/treatment rooms
- 2:1 nursing care for patients and their families
- Telemetric patient monitoring
- A dedicated Trials Pharmacist and dispensary
- A dedicated Play Specialist, supporting the patient journey
- Outreach services to conduct experimental and early-phase research studies in co-located clinical areas within Alder Hey
Specialist paediatric equipment and services includes:
- Aseptic facility for three and seven-day preparation of investigational medicinal products and advanced therapies
- Access to MRI (1.5T/3T), Intra-operative MRI, CT/Spect CT, Gamma Camera, Digital Fluoroscopy, Cone Beam CTUltrasound, Bone Densitometry/BoneXpert, IntraOral Dental, Cardiovascular Imaging Suite, EOS Imaging
- State-of-the-art Paediatric Clinical Laboratories, accredited to UKAS ISO 15189:2012 standard
- Access to full endoscopy facilities, including emergency endoscopy 24 hours (OGD and colonoscopy), plus GI bleeding management, video capsule endoscopy service, PEG insertion service
- UK’s largest Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) located onsite with 24hr access to PICU expertise
- Paediatric cardiology service onsite, with access to specialist ECG and ECHO interpretation
- Hospital school facilities for all children in the hospital, including research patients
- Lung function and physiology facilities and sleep lab and gait lab
- Respiratory team witnchoscopy service
Procedures performed on the CRF include:
- Routine observations (including temperature, pulse, and respiratory rates)
- Blood pressure (including manual measurements)
- Venepuncture, cannulation, timed (PK) bloods, central line access for bloods/drug administration, stimulation tests (e.g. Low dose short synacthen test), blood gas
- Electrocardiogram (ECG), Echocardiogram (ECHO), lung function studies, sputum collection, nasopharyngeal swabs, central line access, urine collection, specialist reviews, oral and IV drug administration, IV infusions, sub-cut drug administration, nebulised drug administration, physiotherapy assessments, intramuscular injection, and vaccine administration
Procedures performed within Alder Hey include:
- MRI scans, CT scans, muscle biopsies, surgical interventions
- Electrophysiology, Advanced Lung function studies, ultrasound studies, and assessment/review by specialist medical and associated professions (e.g. speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, and more)