RESEARCH TEAM
Our Research Team
Nurse Amy Glanville (Research Manager and Lead Clinical Research Nurse)
Julie Groves (Research Administrator)
Dr Samuel Glanville (Clinical Lead for Research)
Dr Boon Yong
Dr Christopher Arden
Professor Mark Rickenbach
All of our clinical research team have experience in leading trials within the practice as "Principle Investigators" and all the of the Research team have "Good Medical Practice" accreditation (see below) that requires regular training to maintain.
Our Motivation for Research
Our active participation in Clinical Research, in collaberation with the NIHR (National Institute of Clinical Research), several university medical research departments (including Southampton, Oxford, Nottingham and Bristol), helps us to find answers for important questions in the management of a diverse range of health conditions.
This process obviously benefits patients, not only now, but for also future generations of people across the country and further afield. Trials we have been involved with have been published in eminent medical journals, including The BMJ, Lancet, NEJM, and have influenced the shaping of various local and national guidelines.
We are of course very grateful to all the patients that help us with these trials, for the altruistic gift of time, their patience and without whom, none of this would be possible.
Current Projects in active recruitment phase
We are actively recruiting patients into the following clinical trials:
TIGER - Does food allergy test-guided dietary advice improve disease control in children with eczema?
ATHENA - Can taking amitriptyline tablets, stop long term pain from shingles?
RELIEF - Assessing a new relief inhaler for mild Asthma - is it more effective than the current standard treatment?
COAT - Is a short course (5 days) of antibiotics as good as a standard course (7 days) in patients with cellulitis?
Virology surveillance - monitors the spread of respiratory viruses, like flu and COVID-19, in different regions throughout the winter. It also helps measure the effectiveness of the influenza/flu and COVID-19 vaccinations using results from swabs taken by patients who are unwell.
Background to Primary Care Research
In 2006 the Department of Health set up The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to improve the health and wealth of the nation through Research.
The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) was introduced to provide the infrastructure to the NHS to allow high quality research to be set up and delivered efficiently and effectively.
Park & St Francis Surgery is part of a network of local practices participating in research activities under the banner of CRN Wessex, and is "Research Ready" Accredited.
Details regarding the NIHR Clinical Research Network
Want to get involved?
There are many ways to get involved in studies at Park & St Francis Surgery:
- A doctor or nurse may talk to you about a particular study and ask if you might be interested in participating.
- You may be sent information through the post/TEXT or e-mail, if we feel you may be a suitable participant.
- You may read information about a current study in the Practice Waiting Room, or Surgery Website which will contain details of who to contact.
- Please note: the practice is funded to conduct research by the CRN - seperately from our NHS GMS contract. Any profit generated from our research activity is invested back into the practice, effectively subsidising NHS patient care.
All clinical research carried out at Park & St Francis Surgery is thoroughly checked and approved by ethical committees - thus ensuring it is appropriate and safe to perform.
Your participation is entirely voluntary and can be withdrawn by Yourself at any time - without any explanation required.
You are under no obligation to participate in any research project.
Your care and your relationship with your doctor or nurse will not be affected in any way if you decided not to take part in a research study.
You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details about a study.
Research and General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR
For GDPR purposes, contacting and inviting registered patients to take part in HRA approved (Health Research Authority) research is seen as in the public interest, and therefore meets the additional requirements of "public interest for access to special category data". Health Research Authority Information Leaflet.
If you do agree to take part in a study you will be asked to sign a consent form. This will clearly state which parts of your notes (if any) may be looked at for the purposes of the research study. Nobody from outside this practice will be given your contact details or have access to your medical records without your prior consent.
Park and St Francis surgery is one of over 260 practices in England contributing pseudonymised data for national research and surveillance. These data enable continuous monitoring of infections and diseases in the community and is used in ethically approved research. The RCGP research and surveillance centre is the main source of information for Public Health England (PHE) and helps with prediction and management of flu outbreaks and pandemics such as COVID-19.
Providing pseudonymised data does not affect patients, their care or privacy, however, if you no longer wish to allow your information to be used, please inform the surgery. For further information please visit the RCGP research and surveillance centre.
Research Training
A key requirement for anyone involved in the conduct of Clinical Research is Good Clinical Practice for Research (GCP) training. Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is the international guideline and standard to which all NHS research is conducted.
Everyone involved in the conduct of clinical research must have the necessary training and education in order to ensure they are competent to carry out their duties and responsibilities.
This is a requirement of the Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care 2005. This policy covers all research within the NHS in England, and in law for those people working on clinical trials
The Principles of CGP states that: "Each individual involved in conducting a trial should be qualified by education, training, and experience to perform his or her respective task(s)" (2.8,E6 Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice).