For sponsors and industry

At Gold Coast Health, clinical trials can be conducted throughout our seven separate health facilities, including three hospitals and two health precincts delivering a broad range of secondary and tertiary health services. Together with Griffith University and other entities in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, our large and growing patient population, and complex and busy health service, we make the ideal partner for clinical trials to inform contemporary and innovative clinical practices.

Gold Coast Health welcome requests to conduct clinical trials of all phases in both pharmaceutical and device interventions, with our world-renowned clinicians. Prominent active areas include: Cancer, Emergency, Paediatrics, Neurology, Cardiology, Interventional Diagnostic Services, Orthopaedics, and Mental Health. Gold Coast Health is well positioned to provide resources and expertise to facilitate trials throughout our health service. We accept patients from neonatal to end of life from all Gold Coast areas extending north, to Beenleigh and receive patient referrals in Northern and Regional New South Wales to the south.

Our Health Service offers Good Clinical Practice (GCP) compliant facilities and resources expected from Clinical Trial sites including:

• A dedicated Clinical Trials Unit with space for infusion and day admissions
• Experienced, GCP-trained Principal Investigators across many disciplines
• Trained and experienced clinical and enrolled nurse study coordinators
• Trial start-up, research ethics and governance services
• Integrated digital healthcare and PowerTrials for source data with remote access capability
• 24-hour NATA-accredited pathology services
• Refrigerated and non-refrigerated centrifuges
• Commercial grade data-logged fridges, and -20°C and -80°C freezers
• Dedicated Clinical Trials Pharmacy
• Continuous temperature monitoring for investigational products, with alarm and 24/7 support
• Medical imaging services, including MRI, CT, X-ray and PET scanning
• Active collaboration with external providers of services for clinical trials
• Good Clinical Practice compliant secure document storage
• Equipment calibration and maintenance as per GCP and hospital policy
• Internal infrastructure to support device clinical trials

Medicines and devices

1. Contact our Clinical Trial Unit on 07 5687 0237 or email ResearchGoldCoast@health.qld.gov.au. who engage with clinicians to commence Feasibility and Site Selection processes. 
2. In order to progress, we require a mutual agreement on terms. Including consideration of budget, project start up time and the anticipated activation date.
3. Work collaboratively with site staff to complete submissions to Regulatory Authorities such as Therapeutic Goods Administration, Human Research Ethics Committees, Research Governance, and other relevant review committees including:

• Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for Clinical Trials where participants do not have capacity for informed consent
• Public Health Authority authorisation for access to data where explicit consent is not attainable
• Application to Physicists for Radiation Dose Assessment, where exposure is above considered Standard of Care
• Product specific internal governance committees to ensure that clinical trials offered to our patients are appropriately reviewed and risk assessed.

Human Research and Ethics Committee

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (GCHHS) Human Research and Ethics Committee (HREC) meetings, submission dates and associated requirements can be found below:

• Meeting and submission dates
• Terms of Reference
• Human Research Ethics Committee Composition
• Research Fees template.

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor?

To register your interest, call 07 5687 0237 or email ResearchGoldCoast@health.qld.gov.au