The College has expressed support for the urgent call for coordinated action to address the decline in clinically trained research staff, which was made in the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) recently published report “Clinical Researchers in the United Kingdom: Reversing the Decline”. We believe this is critically important for the future of UK healthcare and biomedical innovation.
The MRC report aligns closely with our previously announced strategic commitments, outlined in our position paper Advancing Academic Ophthalmology and our call for Ophthalmic Research by All.
Specifically, we are committed to:
- Promoting the status of academic ophthalmology in our strategic planning and workstreams.
- Actively supporting the creation of tenured clinical academic posts in ophthalmology.
- Engaging with UK Government and national research bodies to advocate for ophthalmic research.
- Evaluating trends in the academic ophthalmology workforce, including equality, diversity and inclusion.
Ophthalmology is a high-volume specialty. While vision and eyes research within the UK is world-leading with UK ophthalmologists at the forefront of artificial intelligence, stem cell therapy and gene therapy, there remains significant potential for further translational research and innovation. And, as the MRC report notes, research activity remains unevenly distributed across the NHS. We believe ophthalmology offers a valuable opportunity to expand research capacity beyond traditional academic centres, particularly through initiatives such as:
- British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit (BOSU)
- NIHR Research Delivery Network
- Support for local principal investigators, SAS doctors, and trainees.
These platforms enable broad participation in research and help address regional disparities in research activity.
The MRC report highlights the critical need for protected time and appropriate infrastructure to support research. This is a central concern for ophthalmologists who often face unique challenges balancing high-volume clinical and surgical workloads with research engagement. We support the report’s recommendations for:
- Embedding research as core clinical activity in NHS job planning
- Creating joint clinical academic posts with universities
- Ensuring protected research time within consultant job plans.
Darren Ting, Chair of the College’s Scientific and Research Committee, said: “The College fully endorses the Medical Research Council’s call to action and stands ready to collaborate with them, NIHR, charities, industrial partners, international collaborators, and other stakeholders to ensure that ophthalmic research remains a vibrant and integral part of the UK’s health research landscape.
“We look forward to working together to secure the future of clinical research and to ensure that ophthalmology continues to contribute meaningfully to innovation, patient care, and economic growth.”