Northern NIHR Clinical Research Network Collaborative Framework
Northern Clinical Research Networks
The National Institute of Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) is the research delivery arm of the NHS and its vision is to make “clinical research an integral part of healthcare for all”.
NIHR CRNs in the North of England provide the infrastructure that allows high-quality clinical research to take place in the NHS. CRNs assist researchers to set up clinical studies quickly and effectively and deliver to time and on target. They support the life sciences industry to deliver their research programmes, providing health professionals with research training, and working with patients to make sure their needs are at the centre of research.
In 2016, the NHSA worked with the four Northern CRNs (Greater Manchester CRN, North West Coast CRN, Yorkshire and Humber CRN and North East CRN); acting as a broker to develop new ways of working that would help secure more commercially sponsored and funded studies in the North of England. It was agreed a Network Collaborative Framework should be drawn up by the four CRNs that could be shared with partners to secure agreement and buy-in. This would establish a framework for increasing the number of commercial trials with research sites in the North. This agreement has now been signed by all CRNs and the NHSA.
The signing of the Framework Agreement has demonstrated a genuine desire to increase collaborative working within commercially funded clinical trials across the North. To date in particular, the gastroenterology speciality has undertaken cross-CRN workshops to share experiences and best practice with a view to opening a trial with a single point of contact across the North. This could result in making the North’s offer of supporting clinical trials an exciting and novel opportunity for industry.
Further information on the Northern regional CRNs can be found on their websites:
CRN North East and North Cumbria
Gastroenterology Workshop
In late 2017 we held a workshop to explore the issues that research professionals face when carrying out clinical trials within the speciality area of gastroenterology. We invited research nurses, research managers, principal investigators and clinical academics to consider the issues and how we can learn from colleagues.
The full report from the day can be found here:
Gastro Lessons Learned Workshop Full Report FINAL
If you would like to know more about the collaborative work between the NHSA and the Clinical Research Networks, please contact Ben Martyn Ben.Martyn@theNHSA.co.uk