National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) news, studies and opportunities being supported by the Research Delivery Network (RDN).

For information about all studies running within Primary Care across the South East, please visit our Primary Care website, or email se.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk.

These studies are distributed to Primary Care key points of contact and practice staff. Please forward this email on as required, or if your colleagues would like to hear about local research opportunities for Primary Care, please ask them to email se.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk.  

If you’re interested in joining our Primary Care Research WhatsApp community, let us know—or simply join via this link.

If you would like to subscribe to the South East RRDN bulletin for news and events from across our region and from the NIHR, please fill in this form. Please respond to this mailbox if you don’t wish to receive this email.

News

NIHR Regional Research Speciality Lead for General Practices vacancy

South East RRDN is seeking to appoint a Regional Research Speciality Lead for General Practice (0.05WTE).
The NIHR South East RRDN is one of 12 Networks which replaced Local Clinical Research Networks (LCRNs) from 1 October 2024. RRDNs support the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health and care system in England for the benefit of patients, the health and care system and the economy. The specialties and settings function will play a key leadership role in the on-going development and performance of the RRDN.
For more information or to express your interest, please contact se.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk. 

Help Shape the Future of Research in Children’s Food Allergies
The Food Allergy in Children Priority Setting Partnership, in collaboration with the James Lind Alliance, wants to identify the most important unanswered questions about food allergy in children. Find more information about James Lind Alliance by watching this video. Whether you’re a patient, parent/carer, or healthcare professional, please complete a short survey to help shape the direction of future research.

Highlighted studies

LYME-UK: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study of Early Lyme Disease (CPMS 60167)

What is the trial focusing on?

This study is assembling an independent panel of GPs and Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) with expertise in diagnosing and managing Lyme disease in primary care, particularly cases with erythema migrans.
What do GP practices need to do?
Interested participants should complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form or contact Lucy Delaney, the lead researcher, by email for further details about joining the panel.
How much will GP sites be paid?
There is no payment for this study.


Link to Research Information Sheet or study website.

The Hidden Workload Study (CPMS 64035)

What is this trial focusing on?

Conducted by the Primary care Academic CollaboraTive (PACT), this study explores the “hidden” workload of general practice clinicians—tasks beyond planned consultations. It seeks to capture the extent and nature of this work across various roles in general practice. Find more information in this Youtube video.

What do GP practices need to do?
Participants will be asked to:

  • Record their workload on a single workday (February/March 2025).
  • Optionally participate in a 45-minute MS Teams interview to discuss their workload.

How much will GP sites be paid?

There is no site remuneration, but:

  • Interview participants will receive a £50 shopping voucher.
  • Participants will be credited as co-authors in publications and presentations.
  • Practices will receive a bespoke PACT practice report with benchmarked workload data for quality improvement and service development.

You can optionally become a PACT Champion in your practice, taking on a local research leadership role for this study in a supported way.

Find more information on the study website. If you do choose to take part please let us know via email: se.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk.

The Looking Forward Project (CPMS 57552)

What is the trial focusing on?

This is a pragmatic adaptive trial of hope-focused mentoring to improve mental health and social outcomes for young women who are not in education, employment or training in deprived coastal areas. About 14% of UK 16-25-year-olds are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The number of NEET young women is significantly growing. NEET young women have more mental health and social problems. There is little evidence about how to prevent this, although our recent research suggests that increasing hope can help. The study is looking to see whether the HOPEFUL intervention (a structured talking and activity-based programme designed with NEET young women) can be delivered as a trial with NEET young women and personal mentors (someone whom they already know and trust). The second part of the study will be a large trial to test if HOPEFUL works and offers value for money.

What do GP practices need to do?

Practices can take part in 4 ways:

1) Send an ethically approved text message to patients on their list that meet the following criteria:

  • aged 16-25 years
  • female, or identify as female

2) Display the approved posters (hard copy or via screen)

3) Practice staff who interact most with women aged 16-25 years hand out flyers to relevant patients. Flyers are smaller versions of the poster.

4) Staff who identify young women who might be interested, but reluctant to enter details online, can obtain verbal consent to pass contact information to the study team.

How much will GP sites be paid?

Remuneration is £156 

There is no remuneration for participants or mentors. Mentor supervisors are employed by Local Authorities and the time for supervision of mentors is reimbursed.

If you would be interested to support this project please let us know via email: se.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk.

Training and resources

NIHR Learn is our training platform where you can access training opportunities, including Good Clinical Practice, Informed Consent, Principle Investigator Essentials courses. Anyone can sign up using an NHS email address.

There are some local, face to face training opportunities coming up over the next few weeks:
Informed Consent in Research – face to face – 12 December, 1.30pm to 4.30pm – Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury
Informed Consent in Research – face to face – 12 December, 9am to 12.30pm – Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham
Principal Investigator (PI) Essentials – face to face –  18 December, 9am to 1pm – Maidstone Hospital

Case Study

In the below case study, Dr Eve Boakes speaks about how Hillview Medical Centre has got started with research.

How did you get started with research at Hillview Practice?
I started research at Hillview Medical Centre because of my background in research and my goal to establish a research culture in the practice. I connected with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for support and completed courses like Good Clinical Practice to prepare for my role as research lead.
To kick things off, I created a research proposal highlighting the benefits of research for both patients and the practice, which I presented to the partners. This allowed me to dedicate one clinical session per month to focus on research. During these sessions, I launched our first study, the DURATION-UTI trial, and once confident in managing it, I took on a second project, the PAPER study. Now, we’re looking to expand our portfolio with more studies.

Can you tell me about your involvement in the DURATION-UTI study?
The DURATION-UTI trial investigates the best length of antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infections, aiming to find out if shorter courses can be as effective while reducing side effects and antibiotic resistance.
As the GP research lead, my role involves:

  • Recruiting and screening eligible patients.
  • Obtaining informed consent.
  • Collecting baseline data.
  • Randomising patients to different antibiotic durations.
  • Prescribing antibiotics according to the study group.
  • Following up with patients to monitor their recovery and address concerns.
  • Reviewing notes after six weeks to track any recurrence of UTIs.
  • These responsibilities ensure the trial runs smoothly and contributes valuable insights to improve antibiotic prescribing.

What are your plans and ambitions for research in the future?
At Hillview Medical Centre, my research ambitions focus on:

  • Patient-Centred Studies: Conducting research that meets our patients’ health needs.
  • Collaborations: Partnering with academic institutions and other GP practices.
  • Integrating Research: Using findings to improve day-to-day patient care.
  • Staff Training: Encouraging team members to participate and build research skills.
  • Public Health: Addressing key issues like chronic diseases, mental health, and health inequalities.
  • Sharing Findings: Publishing results and sharing them with the community to maximise impact.
  • These goals aim to build a strong research culture at our practice and contribute meaningful insights to the wider medical field.

What advice would you give to other practices thinking of getting involved in research?

  • Start small with simple projects that match your practice’s interests.
  • Appoint a passionate research champion to lead initiatives.
  • Get your team involved early for their input and support.
  • Collaborate with local research networks or academic institutions for guidance.
  • Offer training for staff to learn about research methods and ethics.
  • Involve patients to ensure studies are relevant and to help with recruitment.
  • Set clear goals and celebrate small successes to stay motivated.
  • Look for funding opportunities to support your efforts.
  • Share your findings to highlight the value of research.
  • Stay committed—it’s a rewarding process that benefits both patients and staff.

By taking these steps, practices can build a meaningful research foundation that improves care and contributes to the broader medical community.