Charities warn of irreparable damage to UK research

A crisis in charity research funding caused by the coronavirus pandemic threatens to weaken the UK’s reputation as a world-leader in science, according to charity leaders.

Writing in the Lancet, the CEOs of the Association of Medical Research Charities, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK warn that without government support, life-saving progress for patients is at risk.

Citing the significant contribution made by medical research charities to the UK’s research landscape - £1.9 billion in 2019 alone - the charities warn that a projected fall in fundraising revenue could profoundly damage UK research, leaving the UK’s position as a home for world-leading science in peril.

Since the start of the pandemic, medical research charities have been forced to make dramatic cuts to their research budgets, with the BHF reducing its research spend by half this year, while CRUK has already made a cut of £44 million to its research portfolio over the same period. The Association of Medical Research Charities members are projecting a shortfall in research spend of between £252 and £368 million in 2020/21 alone.

The charities’ leaders caution that it is patients who will most keenly feel the effect of this slowdown, as the vital discoveries which help to save and improve lives are held-up. They also warn that a reduction in charity funding will have a knock-on effect in reducing private investment in the UK’s research eco-system, with a recent worst case scenario model predicting a £1.3 billion reduction in private investment leveraged from charity funding.

The Association of Medical Research Charities is now calling for the government to commit to a Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund before irreparable damage is done to the sector. The Fund, backed by eminent scientists, industry leaders and politicians from all parties, would see government investment in charity research to bridge the shortfall in fundraising income until funding levels can return to those seen before the start of the pandemic.

Aisling Burnand, chief executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said: “So far we’ve seen nothing from government to support charity-funded medical research. The upcoming Spending Review could be a turning point. Many of our members are already making incredibly difficult decisions, and if we don’t see a commitment to a Life Sciences Charity Partnership Fund in the Spending Review, they will be forced to make further cuts to vital research. This will stall progress towards new treatments and therapies impacting the lives of countless people. Ultimately, it will be patients who will suffer the consequences, which is heart-breaking. It’s crucial charitable medical research is supported over the next three years if we are to ensure the UK has the capacity to tackle our biggest health challenges including Covid-19.”