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As NUH marks 20 years as a unified trust, it is easy to focus on the scale of the milestone — two decades of growth, change, and extraordinary care for patients. But what truly defines this moment isn’t the number. It’s the people who have shaped our journey – especially our staff.
Kathryn Fairbrother, Director of Clinical Operations for Research & Innovation, reflected:
“Coming together as an organisation makes us stronger, and it really showcases the activity that we do as a hospital.”
NUH is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country, caring for more than a million patients each year. That scale brings challenges — but it also brings opportunity. The Research & Innovation (R&I) team has long been at the forefront of driving NUH forward as a hospital.
Kathryn describes the R&I department as:
“One of the biggest departments I have ever worked in, with around 330 staff. And many of those staff have been in research for longer than the Trust has been around.”
That longevity matters. It reflects commitment, expertise, and a belief that research is not an add‑on — it’s a key part of NUH’s DNA.
And it’s not just the visible work with patients.
“It’s all of the work that goes on behind the scenes… to make sure that the research we do is really safe… and ensures that when patients do take part, they’re looked after properly.”
This is the kind of work that rarely makes the headlines, but it’s the foundation of trust — and that is what makes research possible.
One of the most powerful parts of NUH’s research story is how many people have built their careers here.
“We’ve seen lots of people come through Research & Innovation, starting off perhaps as a data clerk and then ending up as a manager,” says Kathryn.
This is what a thriving organisation looks like: people growing, learning, and stepping into new opportunities.
The evolution of national research infrastructure - including the development of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), also founded in 2006 - has opened doors for NUH to expand its research workforce and impact. But it is our people who have turned those opportunities into real progress.
With one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the country and a diverse patient population, NUH is uniquely positioned to drive improvements in health outcomes.
“We’ve got a real opportunity to improve the health of the people of Nottinghamshire and beyond by getting involved in research and also getting involved with innovation,” says Kathryn.
Innovation here is practical. It’s about:
Changing how we work
Introducing new technologies
Testing new treatments and therapies
Learning from every patient interaction
Everyone has contributed to this.
Kathryn offers a reminder that feels especially relevant in a busy, high‑pressure environment like ours:
“We quite often remember the challenges we experience more than we remember the brilliant things that we do.”
The pace of healthcare means we often move from one challenge to the next without pausing to acknowledge what we’ve achieved together as a hospital and research organisation.
But this anniversary is a moment to do exactly that.
Across NUH, nearly 20,000 people work every day to deliver exceptional care. Research & Innovation is just one part of that story — but it reflects the best of who we are: collaborative, ambitious, and committed to improving lives.
Kathryn closes with a sentiment that speaks for many:
“We have the most incredible team… and I’m really proud to work for Nottingham University Hospitals.”
As we celebrate 20 years of NUH, we’re not just looking back. We’re looking forward — to the next discoveries, the next innovations, the next generation of colleagues who will shape the future of care.