South Shields Town Hall to be lit up red in honour of NHS clinical research

The building will be lit up red on Friday evening (June 16) as part of #Red4Research Day, a worldwide campaign that aims to show appreciation and support anyone taking part in medical research.

The campaign acknowledges the effect that is put into discovering new treatments, ways of diagnosing patients and ways of working which can help people live better and for longer.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is one of many NHS Trusts across the country that lead and support a series of research studies.

This includes putting medications to the test and using technology such as artificial intelligence and gene therapy.

Since the Trust was formed in 2019, more than 15,000 patients have helped support trials.

As well as South Shields Town Hall, South Tyneside District Hospital will also turn its lights red for the night to honour the campaign.

Deepali Varma, director of research for the Trust, said: “Red4Research Day gives us the chance to celebrate our achievements and recognise the important part we are playing in improving care and shaping the future.

“Ultimately, this work will make the care we give even better and save lives, helping people live healthier for longer.

“The fact that we are at the centre of many of these studies, which are often world-leading, is something we are hugely proud of.

“We could not do it without the support of our patients and their loved ones and our teams, who strive to make a difference.”

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Councillor Ruth Berkley, lead member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing at South Tyneside Council, has expressed her delight at celebrating the achievements of the NHS by supporting the campaign.

She added: “Research in the NHS plays a pivotal role in finding new ways to fight disease and improve health and social care.

“In this region we continue to make a significant contribution in our health research, benefitting so many in diagnosis and treatment.

“By lighting up our Town Hall, we are celebrating the tremendous research work that is being done while supporting our NHS colleagues in the 75th anniversary year of this fantastic organisation.”