News & Events in the Research Directorate
The best source of research-related news and events in the Trust is our quarterly Research & Development Newsletter, which provides an update of research activities and publications, relating to work in the Trust.
Ninth Annual East London Mental Health Research Presentation Day
The Trust’s Ninth Annual East London Mental Health Research Presentation Day took place on 2 November in the Robin Brooks Centre at Barts Hospital; the event was open to all Trust staff and was well attended by staff, trainees, and representatives from the Governors Council. The format of the day was a series of very brief presentations on a wide range of research projects being conducted in the Trust. Attendees were able to get information about 14 different projects, ranging from epidemiological studies to clinical trials and qualitative work.
Feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive: It was “very pleasant to have many professionals coming together” for an event that was “very intellectually stimulating and helpful to improve clinical practice.” There was a “good balance of more clinical and more academic research topics” and attendees felt “encouraged to evaluate practice.” Overall it is “always a fun day with little opportunity for boredom” and we “look forward to next year.”
Making a Difference on Clinical Research
Central and East London CLRN 2nd Annual Meeting
Friday 25th November 2011, 9am –5.30pm at the Barts Cancer Institute, Joseph Rotblat Building Charterhouse Square Campus, London EC1M 6BQ
You are warmly invited to an action packed day of current topics including:
- The Impact of the CLRN on Clinical Research in the CEL Region
- The impact of CLRN funding
- The R&D Approval Process
Plus Practical Workshop Sessions on:
CLRN Funding, Obtaining R&D Approval, Recruiting in a Primary Care Setting, Essential Elements of a good Grant Proposal, and GCP Training Refresher Course
To register and check the full day programme, go to www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/clrn
Current NIHR calls for proposals
NIHR Public Health Research Programme – Researcher-led work-stream
The Public Health Research (PHR) programme invites research proposals under the researcher-led funding stream. Proposed research should aim to evaluate public health interventions, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and include both primary research and evidence synthesis.
The closing date for proposals is 1pm, 21 November 2011.
Link: PHR Researcher-led call
AMS review of the regulation and governance of health research
The Academy of Medical Sciences has launched its new report 'A new pathway for the regulation and governance of health research'. The report can be downloaded from: http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/index.php?pid=99
The report proposes four key principles that should underpin the regulation and governance framework around health research in the UK, and makes recommendations to:
- Create a new Health Research Agency (HRA) to rationalise the regulation and governance of all health research.
- Include within the HRA a new National Research Governance Service to facilitate timely approval of research studies by NHS Trusts.
- Improve the UK environment for clinical trials
- Provide access to patient data that protects individual interests and allows approved research to proceed effectively.
- Embed a culture that values research within the NHS.
Research Strategy Committee
Following the establishment of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and its ‘bureaucracy busting’ strategy, research management has become increasingly complex and bureaucratic and the frequency with which the regulations and processes change has also risen. In light of these changes, the Trust Board decided to establish a Research Strategy Committee (RSC) with all Clinical Directors and representatives of academic partners, collaborating research organisations, users and the Members Council. It is chaired by a Non-Executive Director.
The principal purpose of the RSC, which met for the first time in September, is to advise the Trust Board on issues related to research funding, policy and strategy. It has a role scrutinising research activities, monitoring research management and governance (RM&G), supporting effective dissemination and utilisation of research, and collaboration of clinical services and researchers in the Trust. The RSC should provide an opportunity for wider discussion of research issues relevant to the Trust and ensure the transparency of both the debates and the decision-making process.
Partners join up in Research
The East London NHS Foundation Trust has agreed to integrate its research management and governance (RM&G) activities with those of one of the Trust’s Higher Education Institution partners, the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, part of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Beginning 1 August 2010, the Joint Research Office (JRO) of the Barts and the London NHS Trust and Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry will provide governance and ethics advice, costing of projects, training of research staff, and the assessment of all proposals to undertake research projects in the East London NHS Foundation Trust.
Ethics Preparation
One of the main complaints of researchers is the difficulty of negotiating the current system for obtaining ethical approval. The Joint Research Office has a dedicated member of staff able to screen applications and ensure that areas likely to cause problems are addressed before submission. This Research Ethics Administrator is also a single point of contact for any queries on indemnity and identifying a sponsor.
Research design and analysis
The Joint Research Office has its own dedicated statistician who is available principally to advise on research design.
Costing
The Joint Research Office has a finance team, experienced in costing and pricing both commercial and non-commercial research. This team can also draft and review contracts between funding / sponsoring organisations and the research sites.
Governance and GCP advice
The Joint Research Office is leading edge in terms of the support available to help researchers through the current regulatory system. A dedicated team of staff advises on what the requirements are and how to put systems in place to ensure compliance with Research Governance, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice standards.
Training
The Joint Research Office provides a range of in-house courses on research methods and quality assurance, as well as Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Research Governance and Research Regulations:. For groups of 12 or more, courses can be arranged at the department / service. In addition, The JRO holds informal workshops, every two weeks or so, to provide researchers with practical guidance to help them put together submissions to gain Ethical Approval, R&D Approval and MHRA Approval.
Literature Searching
The librarians employed by QMUL offer a support service for staff wishing to carry out research. All QMUL staff are eligible for help in designing a search strategy and the use of search engines. NHS staff can complete a simple registration form on arrival to enable them to access the same services.
Intellectual Property
Researchers are able to access two units to help identify, protect and exploit any Intellectual Property (IP) arising from research. Staff with NHS contracts have support from the NHS Innovations London. QMUL staff can utilise the Innovation and Enterprise Unit.
More information and contact details can be found on the Joint Research Office website: http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/research/
Major changes in Psychiatric Nursing
A major pillar and specific strength of research in the Trust is the research group for Mental Health Nursing which is jointly supported by the Trust and City University. It has been led by Professor Len Bowers who established a successful research programme focussing on conflict and containment on psychiatric wards. After more than 13 years in East London, Len has now decided to take on a new challenge and take up a similar post at the Institute of Psychiatry (King’s College London). We are most grateful to Len for his unique contribution to research, service development and clinical governance in East London and wish him all the best for his new work in South London.
At the same time, the research group has a new professor. City University has promoted Alan Simpson to Professor in Collaborative Mental Health Nursing. We are all delighted about this appointment. It is a significant step towards continuing and hopefully even strengthening research in mental health nursing in East London. Alan’s work focuses on collaborating with service users in education, research and practice which is a most relevant area for service improvement in East London and elsewhere.