R&D Forum Group listing
Research Quality Working Group
The Research Quality Working Group aims to provide an NHS‑focused forum for sharing best practice, peer support, and collaborative problem‑solving in research quality assurance and sponsor oversight. Its purpose is to address the specific challenges faced by NHS and non‑commercial sponsors. The focus being different from commercially focused groups, to support members in navigating regulatory change, inspections, and evolving governance requirements.
Group Chair(s):
Manjit Chohan
I am an HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientist with a background in Blood Transfusion and Stem Cell Collection, and over five years’ experience as a Research Quality Manager within the NHS. My work has focused on research governance, regulatory compliance, audit and monitoring, inspection readiness, and the implementation of effective quality management systems.
I recently moved into a Trust-wide Quality Assurance role at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Although no longer working directly in research delivery, this role provides a strong system-level understanding of NHS quality governance and enables me to support better integration of research within Trust quality frameworks.
I am also a Research Ethics Committee (REC) member for the Brent REC, offering an independent ethical and regulatory oversight perspective.
Through the RDF Quality Working Group, I aim to strengthen alignment between research and NHS quality systems, promote proportionate assurance, and support the embedding of research as a core component of high-quality patient care.
Sarah Skirrow
Sarah is the Quality Assurance Manager for the R&D department at University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Trust and for the Derby Clinical Trials Support Unit. She oversees the quality management system, with a focus on developing robust systems, continuous process improvement, and supporting the safe, effective conduct of clinical trials across the organisation.
She has more than 10 years of experience in NHS quality assurance and working across both a clinical trials unit and an NHS Trust gives a valuable insight into the different challenges and expectations each setting brings. Prior to working in R&D Sarah completed a PhD at the University of Nottingham, where she investigated the effects of immobilisation on muscle physiology.
Group Members: