Government must go further to ensure support for research charities

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is urging the Government to make sure that charity-funded research does not become a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic, as its financial impact continues to affect the UK economy.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement on economic recovery today rightly focused on jobs in sectors such as hospitality and tourism which have been hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the statement lacked enough reassurance for other areas of the economy, including medical research, which will also play a vital role in the nation’s economic recovery.

Cancelled fundraising events and shop closures have sparked an unprecedented funding crisis for charities, with the BHF alone anticipating having to cut its research spend by half this year. Such a sharp fall could have a catastrophic impact on the UK’s research base, the research career of thousands of young scientists, and advances in diagnostics, treatments and cures for people living with heart and circulatory diseases.

The BHF has joined forces with 151 other charities to urge the Government to provide much needed financial support to the sector by establishing the Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund - a scheme which would see the Government match charity investment in order to protect and advance life saving research.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “We were disappointed that support for medical research charities was missing in the summer statement today.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated our ability to fund life saving research as the pandemic restrictions closed our charity shops and cancelled fundraising events. As the major independent funder of heart and circulatory disease the impact of this will be profound, with our budget for new research investment falling from £100m to around £50m this year alone.

“Research charities like the BHF are critical in powering discoveries that improve patient diagnosis, treatment and care, but are also a critical part of the UK’s life sciences and healthcare economy, including supporting thousands of careers and fostering talent at all levels.

“In his statement, the Chancellor pledged: ‘Where support is justified, we will provide it’. We now urgently need to see the Government stay true to its word and set up a Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund, to ensure that the vital and unique role of independently funded medical research doesn’t become a casualty of the pandemic.”

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