Clinical Research is a core function of the NHS which helps drive innovation and maintain high standards of patient care. Shore Medical takes part in research which enables us to offer our patients access to new and improved treatments, interventions and medicines which ultimately helps us to develop a wider evidence base across primary care.
Dr Alex Todd is our Research Lead at Shore Medical and he is supported by the Research Team which includes dedicated research nurses and a Project Co-ordinator. Everyone working on Research Studies has completed Good Clinical Practice for Research (GCP) training to ensure we comply with principles set out by the UK policy framework for health and social care research.
The Department of Health set up The National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) to fund, enable and deliver world-leading health and social care research to improve people’s health and wellbeing and promote economic growth. At a local level, Shore Research works with the South West Research Delivery Network (RDN) which provides infrastructure and support to promote high quality research across our area. The NIHR CRN Primary Care Strategy clearly outlines how to promote and facilitate high quality research within the Primary Care setting. (NIHR Clinical Research Network Primary Care Strategy 24 Feb 2022 v1.0)
We also work with other local surgeries as part of a collaboration across Dorset as part of the Dorset Primary Care Clinical Research Group (DPCCRG) with the aim of increasing opportunities for our patients to take part in a wider range of studies. In particular, we work closely with The Adam Practice. This means that some of the studies we are taking part in may involve our research participants being seen at The Adam Practice. Shore research staff will see research participants at our Research Clinic at Lilliput surgery, or sometimes they may be seen by either Shore Research or Adam Practice Research teams at The Adam Practice research clinic at their Upton Surgery.
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Please check the “Open Studies” tab for further details – studies run as part of this collaboration are marked with “DPCCRG Collaboration”
There are a number of ways in which you can become involved in research studies within Shore Medical;
- The Research Team at the practice may look at your record to determine whether you are suitable to be invited for a research study. If you are identified as a suitable participant, a doctor or nurse may talk to you about a particular study relevant to your health and ask whether you would be interested in taking part. You may be sent information by SMS text, through the post or by email
- You may read about studies on our website or in our waiting room
- You can register an interest in becoming involved in research studies through the national Be Part of Research website, Be Part Of Research (nihr.ac.uk)
The studies we undertake have all received approval from the Health Research Authority (HRA) to ensure they are safe to perform. If studies involve a new medication or a new medical device, then they will also have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw from a research study at any time. Your care will not be affected in any way should you decide not to take part. The consent process ensures you receive clear information about what taking part would involve and you have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details.
Shore Medical is currently working with a research technology partner known as uMed. Their accredited platform enables us to provide you with research opportunities that are highly relevant to your health circumstances.
Without the use of uMed’s technology we may not have the time to find and engage patients that meet the requirements of the studies. This would therefore mean many patients would miss out on their chance to participate in ground-breaking research.
For further information on uMed please visit their website at www.umed.io or email patientsupport@umed.io
For research queries, please contact: Research.shore@nhs.net or telephone 01202 545195
For further patient information please visit the NHS Health Research Authority website: Patient Data and Research leaflet – Health Research Authority (hra.nhs.uk)
