UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has released a new independent report with a series of recommendations to improve the important role played by UK researchers and innovators in tackling pandemics.

Findings suggest that the UK risks being left significantly vulnerable for future pandemics and other shocks without this ongoing, sustained investment.

The report, ‘Impact evaluation of UKRI’s research and innovation fund’, conducted by Technopolis, revealed how publicly funded research helped to shape government decision-making, ease the impact of the pandemic and save lives.

Key findings included vaccine pioneers, life-saving therapies and shaping government interventions, among others.

Dr Jonathan Pearce, director, strategy and planning, at UKRI’s Medical Research Council, commented: “This report shows that the UK directed more of its research and innovation activity to COVID-19 than any other country. That work also had more measurable impact than in any other country.”

Pearce stated, however, that the UK is “not complacent” and that “COVID-19 hasn’t disappeared from our lives”.

The key recommendation advised that the UK government should support the UKRI in its long-standing commitment to invest at scale in public research and innovation to ensure healthy and diverse systems and to respond rapidly and effectively to future global crises.

It also suggested that the UKRI upgrade its research information systems to allow for more rapid emergency response and continue its efforts to facilitate the sharing of clinical and other administrative data for emergency research.

Pearce said that the UK needs to “[learn] the lessons [that] the pandemic has taught us and provide the sustainable long-term investment that will empower our sector to be even better prepared”.

According to the independent report findings, the research and innovation funding represented value for money for the taxpayer.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, UKRI funded around 1,200 awards, totalling more than £500m.

The government has announced that it is investing £200m in funding to boost resilience in the NHS throughout the winter months and ensure that patients receive the care they need as quickly as possible.

The funding comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and health and social care secretary, Steve Barclay, met clinical leaders and NHS chiefs to advance plans to ease pressures in urgent and emergency care and reduce waiting lists this winter.

For the NHS, the winter months are the busiest due to increased pressures from flu, COVID-19 and seasonal illness.

The new investment intends to reduce waiting lists and ease the demand on the NHS during the busy season, as well as ensure that patients receive the care they need.

In addition, another £40m is being invested to bolster social care capacity, strengthen admissions avoidance services and improve discharge rates from hospitals.

Local authorities will use the funding to purchase more services to keep people out of hospitals and provide more packages of home care to allow people to leave hospitals more quickly.

The funding forms part of the £600m social care winter workforce and capacity boost package, which was announced in July this year.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS confederation, said: “This £200m investment… should help NHS leaders in their efforts to prepare for and mitigate against the impacts of what will be a seriously difficult and challenging winter period.”

Health minister, Helen Whately, said the investment will “improve social care capacity, boost discharge rates and avoid unnecessary admissions, freeing up hospital beds and reducing waits for care”.

Earlier this month, the government invested £50m in local authorities to help older adults and those with disabilities live safely and independently in their own homes.

Earlier this year, the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan was backed by £1bn to boost capacity in health systems and provided an additional 5,000 hospital beds, 800 new ambulances and 10,000 virtual wards.