Our Clinical Research Facility (CRF) provides dedicated space, facilities and staff to support the conduct of early-phase, complex and high-risk experimental medicine studies. 

Our staff can support your research by helping to deliver clinical procedures, treatment administration, data collection, laboratory processing and study management. 

The CRF is located within the Royal Free Hospital with ready access to a wide range of medical expertise and close to specialised services.

We are integrated with the following support services, institutes and national centres to ensure you have the support you need to conduct your research and develop new treatments. On the Royal Free Hospital site, we are co-located with:

We are active in the UK Clinical Research Facility Network, benefiting from close relationships with colleagues across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, sharing best practice and developing support tools for the delivery of clinical trials. 

The CRF is equipped to manage early-phase clinical trials, mitigate risk and manage emergencies. 

It is fully integrated within the Royal Free Hospital with direct links to its acute and emergency care teams, including 24/7 emergency response and intensive care, is equipped with a resuscitation (crash) trolley and has treatment and intervention areas with wall mounted piped oxygen and suction.

CRF staff take part in regular skill development and emergency scenario training and there are extensive safety and quality assurance procedures and oversight mechanisms in place specifically for the delivery of early-phase clinical trials.

When undertaking research at our facility, investigators can choose from three different levels of support best suited to their study:

  • Space provision: where principal investigators (PI) run their study within the CRF with their own (non-CRF) research staff.
  • Mixed model: where PIs run their study within the CRF and select specific skills and/or services they require from the CRF to deliver their study.
  • Full service: where PIs lead the study within the CRF and CRF staff complete all protocol and administrative duties.

Regardless of the level of support we provide, all studies run within the CRF are delivered in accordance with our policies and procedures and under the clinical oversight of the CRF.

To undertake research in the CRF, a PI with a Royal Free London contract (substantive or honorary) must be selected by the study sponsor.

The CRF operates an adoption committee which reviews each study for risk, capacity and capability and provides ongoing clinical oversight of the delivery of the study within the CRF.

The organisational confirmation of capacity and capability review for studies run in the CRF is completed by the our research and development office. All study costings and contracting are completed through this office. 

Clinical Trial Agreements for studies run in the CRF are agreed between the study sponsor and the Royal Free London.

To request more information, please email the CRF at rf-tr.crf-studies@nhs.net or the R&D Office at rf.randd@nhs.net