![]() |
|
||||
|
What do you need to know about research in primary care?Changes in researchThe DoH published 'Best Research for Best Health: A new national health research strategy' on 25/1/06 The organisation and funding of research throughout the NHS has changed. You can find out the latest news at The National Institute for Health Research website www.nihr.ac.uk The NIHR site has the updated 'Best Research for Best Health' strategy implementation plans, information about the NIHR work streams and "arms length" programmes, and the latest news about the Institute. What does this mean?The old funding streams for research have been stopped or are stopping. Locally the GP research practices lost their funding and The Bristol and District Primary Care Research and Development Consortium will change its funding after 31/3/09 and become part of the South west Primary care research network (see below). All the new funding schemes are awarded after formal application. New research will be more centrally controlled and focused on NHS priorities. One of the new funding streams is the research networks The South West’s Primary Care Research Network www.pcrnsw.org Dr Phil Evans, based in Exeter is the Director, and the local contact for the network is Dr Peter Brindle, Director of R&D, Avon Primary Care Research Consortium Western Local Comprehensive Research Network (CLRN) is one of 25 CLRNs across England which form part of the NIHR Comprehensive Clinical Research Network (CCRN). CCRN provides support for clinical trials and other well designed studies in all areas of disease and clinical need, includes all research that isn't in the topic specific networks (see below), manages the NHS service support costs, research management and governance. UBHT lead this network. http://www.ukcrn.org.uk/index/networks/comprehensive.html The DoH funded topic research networks across the region provide hubs and/or spokes for include Medicines for children. Prof Adam Finn in Bristol led a successful bid to be one of the spokes for this network Primary Care Network- England.The contact for the network is Dr Ruth Allen Ruth.Allen@bristol.ac.uk Tel: 0117 3420197 Mobile: 07775764820 - http://www.mcrn.org.uk Dementias & Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (Dendron) - http://www.dendron.org.uk/rn/south_west.html Diabetes Network - http://www.ukcrn.org.uk/index/networks/diabetes.html Mental Health Network - http://www.mhrn.info/dnn/Default.aspx?tabid=83 Stroke Network - http://www.ukcrn.org.uk/index/networks/stroke.html Cancer Network - http://www.ukcrn.org.uk/index/networks/cancer.html and the General Information about researchRESEARCH is finding out what we ought to do or the attempt to derive generalisable new knowledge by addressing clearly defined questions with systematic and rigorous methods Clinical research is based primarily on patients or ex-patients and designed to answer a question about disease (aetiology, concomitants, diagnosis, prevention, outcome or treatment). This page tries to be a summary of what is happening in the world of primary research around Bristol, and point you in the right direction for more information. If you have any suggestions about how we can improve this section, or want to learn more, or get involved with research in primary care email contact@bristolgpsolutions.org.uk. There are two main types of research in primary care, commercial and non-commercial. Non-commercial research is usually funded by the NHS, research councils, charities or grant giving bodies and covers a wide range of activities motivated by knowledge rather than commercial gain. Commercial research is usually funded by pharmaceutical companies undertaking clinical trials of new medicines. ALL research in NHS primary care must comply with NHS research governance guidelines. The local policy that covers all the Bristol area PCTs is accessed at http://www.apcrc.nhs.uk/research_governance.htm There is a grey area between clinical audit and research (e.g. innovations) and if you are unsure you are advised to ask the chairman of the local ethical committee for guidance. The Avon Research and Development Strategy and Advisory Group (ARDSAG) advises the Avon Primary Care Research Collaborative. This is hosted by Bristol Primary Care Trust, and is responsible for all Research Management and Governance in the following PCTs: South Gloucestershire PCT, North Somerset PCT, Bristol PCT. The Avon Primary Care Research Collaborative website is: www.apcrc.nhs.uk. The collaborative was founded in December 2002. Alongside the three PCTs, the Collaborative has affiliations with the University of Bristol and University of the West of England and the University of Bath. There are links to other local Trusts, including Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust and Bath & North East Somerset PCT, and the local Acute sector, namely North Bristol Trust and United Bristol Healthcare Trust and the local Research & Development Support Units (RDSU'S). The collaborative leads or collaborates with the following NHS research programmes: For more information contact Jo Pearce, jo.pearce@bristolpct.nhs.uk Research Consortium PracticesThe Bristol aand District Primary Care Research and Development Consortium. Since 1998 the Consortium, a group of 28 practices, has been funded by the NHS to host non-commercial externally-funded research usually (but not exclusively) initiated by the University of Bristol. Each year the Consortium hosts roughly 80 projects across its members. Funding is assured for 2008/9 but the consortium will become part of the PCRN from 1/4/09 with a different organization and funding probably more targetted funding through support for specific research projects supported by the various research networks. In the meantime new practices are invited to join in 2008/9 and should approach Dr Peter Brindle for more information peter.brindle@nhs.net Consortium Members contact details NHS acute trustsThe two acute trusts in Bristol (North Bristol and UBHT) have research programmes and may involve primary care to recruit patients or host research. UBHT research UniversitiesUniversity of Bristol. The Division of Primary Health care, is an active research unit. Current projects include http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/PrimaryHealthCare/research.htm UBHT/ University of Bristol Joint clinical academic and commercial research unit programme is based at the BRI and wants to recruit practices to host commercial and non-commercial research. For more information contact Sue.allen@bris.ac.uk Uuniversity of West of England as well as its postgraduate research studies. In addition, it has close links with a number of other research groupings. First, there is the Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, which is a joint initiative between the University of the West England and the University of Bristol and based in the University of Bristol under the direction of Professor Alan Emond. Second, there are very close links with the Centre for Appearance Research, Professor Nicky Rumsey (Co-Director, Professor in Health Psychology) and Dr Diana Harcourt (Co-Director, Reader in Health Psychology) which was based in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, but which is now providing a focus for psycho-social research on health related issues for the new faculty. Third, the School works closely with the
Speech and
Language Therapy Research Unit, hosted by North Bristol NHS Trust and
directed by
Professor Sue Roulstone and Dr Brian Pertheram. Finally, it also hosts SOLAR which is a whole systems actions research group which is under the direction of Professor Danny Burns. What's new in researchUBHT NHS Trust Research research news RCGP research news http://www.rcgp.org.uk/research/whats_new/index.asp Resources http://www.rcgp.org.uk/research/resources/index.asp UK Federation of Primary Care Research Networks. The Federation was established in 1998 to bring together research networks from around the UK, to facilitate their collective functioning and promote their interests at a national level. Its future may be threatened by the changes in financuing research. http://www.ukf-pcro.org/ How to get startedThe RCGP/PCT study day in April 2006 discussed this and the slides from that day will help you: The programme and the power point slides 'Insights From Practice-based Researchers to Develop Family Medicine Faculty as Scholars' examines how practice based research can get started http://www.stfm.org/fmhub/fm2007/July/Linda504.pdf GP school Education and ResearchThe Severn Deanery serves the northern half of NHS Education South West. The GP school formed in 2007 but in the old Severn & Wessex Deanery there was an education manager who had a role as a research fellow with a management role. The main role was to provide support to the Deanery GP team in developing education and training for doctors in general practice, based upon research that evaluates current training and CPD arrangements. An evidence base for good practice in GP education was being developed in three ways: by preparing critical reviews of new and different ways to train general practitioners based upon academic research in national and international medical education literature; by setting up and co-ordinating research projects to evaluate the quality of existing GP training programmes. Projects are funded by the Deanery but conducted by contracted researchers; acting as a point of contact to facilitate deanery wide communication about on-going education projects. As part of this role providing individual support for GPs undertaking educational research and assist them in disseminating their work via journals, conferences etc. Hopefully the new GP school will try to continue this arrangement. At the time of writing (28/5/08) there is no GP school research strategy for GP education and GP educators that monitors the quality of training programmes and schemes in line with national standards, and develops them. It could explore new training routes through research that evaluates innovative pilot posts/placements. A big part of this would be to build partnerships with other organisations in order to conduct collaborative research. new areas, looking at workforce issues and working on reports to profile the workforce and the changing trends in working patterns. This could contribute to the GP school strategy on workforce planning for the future, and it's consequent effects on education and training. The Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC), formerly the Association of University Departments of General Practice (AUDGP) promotes excellence in research, education and policy development in general practice and primary health http://www.sapc.ac.uk/ The North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) is a multidisciplinary organization for primary care researchers. Founded in 1972 and oriented to family medicine, NAPCRG welcomes members from all primary care generalist disciplines and related fields, including epidemiology, behavioral sciences, and health services research http://www.napcrg.org/ The MRC General Practice Research Framework (MRC GPRF) is an organisation of over 1000 general practices throughout the UK involved in epidemiological, primary care and health services research. Working in partnership with researchers the GPRF serves as a national resource to undertake high quality studies that require a co-ordinated framework of general practices http://www.gprf.mrc.ac.uk/ INVOLVE - promoting public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research www.invo.org.uk The EQUATOR Network promotes transparent and accurate reporting of health research, and provides up-to-date resources related to health research reporting for: |

Terry Kemple is responsible for this page. It was last updated and
will be reviewed by 1/1/09.