NIHR SRMRC

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre (SRMRC) is a national centre for trauma research; its main aim is to transfer new emergency medicine practices developed in the military frontline to the NHS to improve outcomes for all patients. In addition the SRMRC takes findings from the science lab to the patient’s bedside to improve emergency medicine practice in the military and civilian setting. Since the Centre’s start in 2011, civilian and military scientists have worked alongside civilian and military clinicians in a variety of specialist areas to improve the care and treatment of trauma patients. The Centre is jointly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the Ministry of Defence, the British government department in charge of putting into place the Government’s defence policy and the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. Additional ‘matched’ funding is also received from the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) and the University of Birmingham (UoB).

This aim of the NIHR SRMRC is met by learning more about how the functions of the body are compromised by injury, what factors influence how well a patient recovers and therefore how to reduce the negative effects of traumatic injury. Through this research the Centre can lead the way in the development of new treatments that can improve the patient journey from the conflict zone or roadside to when they leave hospital. This is met by sharing best clinical practice from the military frontline to the NHS and back again, providing a unique work space where professionals from both the clinical and the scientific world work together and turn ground-breaking research into new treatments. Centre staff also work closely with victims of major trauma and their carers to ensure our research is relevant to their journey from injury to rehabilitation.