Research: Practice Collaboration

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Research in the NHS in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

The NHS is committed to the innovation, and to the promotion, conduct and use of research to improve the current and future health and care of the population.

Clinical Research is a major driver of innovation and central to NHS practice for maintaining and developing high standards of patient care. Participating in Clinical research allows patients to get access to new interventions, treatments, and medicines. Ultimately, investment in research means better and more cost-effective care for patients.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the nation's largest funder of health and care research and provides the people, facilities and technology that enables research to thrive. Working in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public, they deliver and enable world-class research that transforms people's lives, promotes economic growth and advances science.

Banbury Crosss Health Centre is part of a network of local practices participating in research activities under the banner of NIHR Clinical Research Network: Thames Valley and South Midlands (NIHR CRN TVSM). The CRN TVSM is hosted by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.

Support for Primary Care Research

The National Institute for Health Research works with researchers and primary care practitioners such as GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists and dentists to promote the successful delivery of research studies in the NHS.

We support a wide range of research including studies which look at:

• Promoting a healthier lifestyle
• Disease diagnosis and prevention
• Management of long-term illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension
• Prevention of future ill-health
• Treating common conditions such as influenza

Following GDPR guidelines and ensuring your data is protected

Use of third-party document outsource processors (mailing companies)

Researchers regularly use document outsource processors such as Docmail to send study information to people who might be interested in taking part in clinical research. Only companies that are confirmed as being fully compliant with the laws surrounding data protection and data sharing, such as GDPR, are used. In addition to this, providers will be reviewed and permitted by the regulatory bodies that ethically approve, govern, and oversee clinical research taking place in the UK, such as the NHS Health Research Authority and Research Ethics Committees.

We would like to reassure you that, should you receive an invite to participate in a research study:

• The letter will have come directly from the practice. We do not share identifiable information with researchers without patient consent.
• It is our practice staff who perform research mailouts using the document outsource processor. Your contact details will not be shared outside of the system and will be deleted after 28 days.

Practice collaboration with research data registries

We are part of Clinical Practice Research Datalink which means that we contribute de-identified data to CPRD (Clinical Practice Research Datalink) for public health research. CPRD is a real-world research service supporting retrospective and prospective public health and clinical studies and is jointly sponsored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), as part of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Individual patients cannot be identified from this information.

What are the benefits of your practice being active in research?

Evidence suggests that patients who receive care in research-active institutions have better health outcomes than those who are treated in a non-research environment.

By joining the research community, we are actively helping to improve the standard of healthcare for our patients.

Research provides an opportunity for you, the patient, to better understand your health conditions as well as give something back to the NHS and wider community.

Sometimes it can provide patients with access to new treatments, as well as bringing a new dimension to practice and added skills to those involved.

The practice will receive funding to cover any additional costs of taking part in research (it does not come out of our own budget and so routine patient services will not be affected).

Patient Perspective

Is research right for me & what do patients taking part in research really think?

Ultimately, our research helps people to access and take part in studies which could potentially make a real difference to their health conditions and quality of life.

Here are a few quotes from patients who have taken part in research:

• “I felt being part of the research helped my case, maybe got treatments that I would not have had otherwise”
• “I do feel as though I’m contributing to the improved care for future generations”
• “With the close monitoring / treatments from everyone, I now feel a lot healthier”
• “The process has made me much more aware of my condition and that advice and care was immediately available”