Lawson Road Surgery is an active member of the local research community. We are engaged in many research studies which are always bound by strict ethical and governance rules. No patient identifiable information is ever disclosed without your informed explicit consent.

What is primary care research?

People use research to try and find the cause of diseases and to find better treatments and services for those diseases and improve patient care.

Patients may be asked to take part in research in different formats:

• Completing a questionnaire.
• Requesting the use of anonymised data.
• Taking part in an interview.
• Testing new treatments, therapies or devices.
• Experiencing new combinations of treatments.

What is the Clinical Research Network East of England?

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Eastern is one of 15 CRN’s that cover England. Each CRN provides a wide range of support to the local research community covering 30 different specialities, one of which is Primary Care. Our practice participate in research activity and works closely with CRN Eastern creating more opportunities for patients to be involved in research should they wish.

By building on and extending partnerships with university academics and the NHS, research collaboration across the East of England is further strengthened.

CRN Eastern also helps our practice by supporting us to recruit and take part in clinical studies through their locally based research nurses and network coordinators.

What is the National Institute for Health Research?

The mission of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the research arm of the NHS, is to maintain a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals, working in world class facilities, conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.

The NIHR is funded by the Department of Health.

Practice setup

We have been accredited by RCGP as ‘Research Ready’. To become research ready the practice has completed an online self-accreditation questionnaire which covers the minimum requirements of the Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care, Department of Health (2005). The accreditation has been developed by the Royal College of General Practitioners in conjunction with the NIHR and the PCRN.

Benefits of being ‘Research Ready’:

• Enables our practice to reflect on our ability and capacity to conduct high quality research.
• Provides assurance for study sponsors, governance staff and patients that our practice is up to date and compliant with the national standards for NHS research.
• Provides the practice with awareness of how it can minimise any potential risks involved for our practice, practice staff and study participants.
• Access to a research ready file which provides a useful reference for the research team and also for the induction and training of new staff in our practice who will be participating in its research activities.
• Opportunities to be involved in a wider range of research studies.

GCP trained staff

Dr Alice Shiner – Lead research GP

Ruth Elsworth – Practice Nurse

Practice involvement in research

Research studies help to answer specific questions about health and health care.

For example:

• Whether new treatments or ways of organising services are effective (do they work?).
• Whether those treatments or services are cost effective (do they give value for money?).
• How different health problems develop and progress over time – to help gain a better understanding of that health problem.
• The views of patients and health professionals about a particular treatment, intervention or service and how they might be improved.
• The results of research studies can be of interest to patients and useful to health professionals and managers in the NHS in helping to decide what treatments and services to provide in the future.

Studies we have participated in

• ATTACK – A study examining whether taking aspirin reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with chronic kidney disease.
• CLIMB – A national study examining how people think health data should be shared and used.
• PRINCIPLE and PANORAMIC– National studies to find treatments that reduce hospital admission and improve symptoms for people with COVID-19. You can read more about our practice’s role in the PRINCIPLE trial via the Eastern Daily Press.

Current studies

• Hip-DYS – When babies are 6-8 weeks old they have a physical health check with a GP, including a hip examination. This study is assessing whether a checklist to guide this examination makes GPs better at picking up hip problems early on.
• D-Med – This study is looking at whether a decision-support tool can help in stopping medications prescribed to frail older people with type 2 diabetes.
• Active Brains – A study investigating whether use of an online website helps older adults to look after their physical and mental health, preventing cognitive decline.

Patient participation and how to take part

There are different ways patients can become involved in studies our practice is participating in:

• You may be sent information via a text message or through the post if we feel that you might be a suitable participant.
• A doctor or nurse may talk to you about the study and ask whether you would consider taking part.
• You may read information on this website about a current study and wish to take part, either by contacting the practice or following links provided on the website.

Your data

We comply with the GDPR requirements.

People in our care team may look at your health records to check whether you are suitable to take part in a research study, before asking you whether you are interested or sending you a letter on behalf of the researcher.