The Centre for Applied Respiratory Research, Innovation and Impact (CARRii) launches today, 24 February, at the House of Commons, bringing together leading experts to tackle the UK's urgent respiratory health challenges, which cost the NHS around £11 billion annually.
Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh OBE, Head of Department at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, will co-direct the new centre alongside Professor Chris Griffiths from Queen Mary University London.
The launch event, hosted by Jim Shannon MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Respiratory Health, highlights the urgent need to address respiratory diseases, now the third biggest cause of death in the UK. One in six NHS beds are occupied by respiratory patients, with hospital admissions rising by 263% over the past decade. The impact of health inequalities is stark: people in the most deprived areas are seven times more likely to die from respiratory illness.
"The founders of CARRii have worked closely with the APPG to improve respiratory outcomes through their innovative use of evidence-based data," said Jim Shannon MP. "CARRii will continue to drive impact, supporting key policy initiatives like the 10-Year Plan, community care, tackling inequalities, and easing NHS winter pressures."
"The respiratory health crisis is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time," says Professor Sheikh. "CARRii will harness cutting-edge research and innovation to deliver real-world impact, ensuring better care for millions while easing the strain on the NHS."
Over the next decade, the centre aims to reduce hospital admissions for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and respiratory infections by 20%. Equally important is the goal to close health disparities in respiratory care by the same margin. Currently, only 2.5% of government and charity research funding goes to respiratory health despite its massive impact.
Building on the successful work of its predecessor, the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, CARRii will focus on reducing risks and infections, supporting people to manage their conditions at home through digital technology, and using new methods like artificial intelligence to improve early diagnosis.
The launch event features talks from prominent figures including Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, and Professor Lord Lionel Tarassenko, a leading expert in healthcare technology also from the University of Oxford.
Monica Fletcher OBE, CARRii's Chief Executive and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, explained: "We will drive the adoption of best practice by influencing policy changes, training and embedding researchers in clinical settings, linking with commercial partners to support innovative approaches, and working with Health Innovation Networks and the NHS. Patients will remain at the heart of our work, informed by a network of over 150 public and patient members."
The launch comes at a critical time when respiratory admissions can double during winter months, contributing significantly to NHS winter pressures. This results in approximately 6 million patient bed-days annually, with over 700,000 hospital admissions – most of these being emergency admissions.
Professor Chris Griffiths, Co-Director of CARRii, added: "Our vision focuses on a rolling programme of respiratory missions to transform UK health outcomes. This will be achieved by tackling the causes of preventable respiratory diseases, increasing the adoption of self-care strategies and making major inroads into improving care delivery through a specific focus on applied outcomes."
The new centre builds on strong foundations. Its predecessor attracted over £83 million in funding and published more than 800 scientific papers since 2014. CARRii aims to expand this work across all respiratory conditions while placing greater emphasis on turning research into practical improvements in patient care.
Members of the public, healthcare professionals, and researchers interested in joining CARRii's network can find more information on our website here: https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/carrii