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University Hospitals Birmingham is to play a key role in the largest surgical trial ever funded in the UK.

UHB colleagues, based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), are leading on the national trial which aims to reduce wound infections that can occur after surgery.

It will see 26,000 patients recruited to test ways of achieving this. The first patient recruits at UHB will be at QEHB and Solihull Hospital.

More than £10m of funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has been awarded to the University of Birmingham to run the ambitious trial.

ROSSINI-Platform is a large trial, led by QEHB-based Prof. Thomas Pinkney and the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, that will help experts understand how to reduce infections.

Wound infections, also referred to as Surgical Site Infections (SSI), are the commonest complication after surgery and affect up to one in four patients undergoing surgery each year. These infections carry an estimated cost to the NHS of at least £700m each year.

Prof. Pinkney, Honorary Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at UHB, and Chief Investigator of the ROSSINI-Platform trial, said:

“An adult living in the UK will have an average of four operations during their lifetime. Up to a quarter of operations may result in a surgical site infection (SSI) – a post-operative infection of the wound – which can have significant negative impacts on patient recovery.

“We know that infections at different operation sites can cause different types of challenges. For example, an infection following a caesarean section can impact on the mothers’ ability to bond with their newborn.

“An infection following amputation could mean that the patient is no longer suitable to be fitted for a prosthetic, meaning they might become a wheelchair user.

“Post-pandemic, the waiting lists for surgeries are higher than ever, so an evidence-based approach to improving recovery times and reducing preventable complications and their associated risk of readmissions has never been more necessary.”

ROSSINI-Platform will look at 18 ways of reducing the rates of surgical site infection, and the design of the trial will enable the team to focus on those areas that show evidence of benefit.

These include:

• using state-of-the-art wound cleaning solutions during surgery
• using special wound dressings after surgery
• applying antibiotics differently during surgery
• changing gloves and instruments at certain points during surgery
• waxing or epilation around the surgical site

The trial will these across areas such as, heart surgery, brain surgery, caesarean section and leg amputation, to find what works best to reduce infection in each setting.

UHB is the lead NHS Trust for the ROSSINI-Platform Trial, with UHB’s  Research Application Support (RAS) team playing a pivotal role in ensuring that NHS research costs were accurately calculated and included across all 100 participating sites.

Through a highly successful collaboration between the RAS team, the West Midlands Research Delivery Network (WM RDN), and the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit (BCTU), approximately £2.2 million in NHS research funding was secured to support the successful delivery of the study.

Prof. Kiran Patel, Chief Medical Officer at UHB, said: “This is a powerful example of what can be achieved through partnership working.

“ The RAS team, along with our partners at the West Midlands Research Delivery Network and Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, have come together to secure significant funding for this important trial. It’s a real achievement for the Trust and a proud moment for all involved.

“This trial will make a meaningful difference for patients, not only here in Birmingham, but nationwide.”