September 2023 Newsletter
Date: 30 September 2023
Welcome to the Forum September 2023 Newsletter
As we enter a new season, the Forum, is entering a period of change. With the retirement of Maria Palmer, who gave nearly 25 years of invaluable service, the Executive Team has taken the opportunity to review its governance structure. The first stage has been to appoint new Trustees and a New Chair, so the Forum can operate.
I am pleased to announce the Trustees have agreed that from 1st October 2023, I will be appointed as the Chair, for 3 years in the first instance. Further details are included in the newsletter, and I look forward to working with you all as we take the Forum forward.
Please keep an eye out for further updates and opportunities to engage, as every voice matters.
Angela Topping
Interim Chair, NHS R&D Forum
New Chair of the NHS R&D Forum
The Trustees of the NHS R&D Forum are pleased to announce that from 1st October 2023, Angela Topping will become Chair of the NHS R&D Forum. Angela, who was appointed as an Executive Member of the Forum in 2020, replaces Maria Palmer who retired in May 2023 after nearly 25 years of invaluable service to the health and care research community.
Angela will continue in her role as Head of the Newcastle Joint Research Office and carry out the role of Chair with support not only from the newly appointed Trustees, but also the wider health and care research community.
RDF24 Update
The 2024 Annual NHS R&D Forum (RDF24) Programme Content Committee are inviting abstracts for presentations and posters at RDF24.
Presentations and Posters should relate to the process, the structure, improving efficiency, improving quality, promoting best practice or adding value in R&D studies, teams, departments or organisations, with a particular focus on sharing innovative solutions to challenges, and other successes (or failures) that may inform future practice elsewhere. Topics should be relevant to the wider R&D community.
Closing dates for abstracts:
- Oral Presentations: 30th November 2023
- Posters: 31st December 2023
We can’t wait to welcome you to RDF24, keep an eye out for delegate bookings opening soon.
Information Governance Information for Organisations Participating in Research Studies – Joint Statement (HRA, CRN and R&D Forum)
A joint Information Governance Information statement has been published from the HRA, CRN and R&D Forum for Organisations Participating in Research Studies. This sets out the existing processes for IG compliance, and describes how IG is assessed by dedicated staff, and assurances provided, as part of HRA and Health Care Research Wales (HCRW) Approval. It also introduces new plans to better achieve simple and consistent compliance with IG standards for research across the NHS.
Clinical Trials Talent Task Force Update
The Taskforce, which was launched in August 2023, is jointly chaired by the NHS R&D Forum and IAOCR. The aim of the Taskforce is to identify what already exists in this space, review areas of best practice, highlight gaps in provision and share the findings with key stakeholders as a call to action.
The first meeting was extremely helpful in identifying what already exists in this space. The discussion also gifted the opportunity to review the Terms of Reference for the Taskforce and its membership going forward. Now the holiday season is over, this work will be picked up in earnest, with the outcome being shared at a Think Tank event in Liverpool in November 2023.
Find out more about our Working Groups
Meet out Working Group Chairs and find out more about the function of the groups work in the new videos added to the NHS R&D Forum website.
Learning and Development Working Group Update
The NHS R&D Forum have been reviewing the function of Working Groups. We would like to refresh the Learning and Development Working group and create a new group. The remit of this new group would be lead, influence and drive any issues to do with research governance and management learning/training/development. We are looking for expressions of interest to join the group. We are also keen for any volunteers to chair this group. If you are interested please contact info@RDForum.org.uk
Upcoming Courses
Please see below for details on our upcoming courses that have been designed to support the Health & Care R&D Community.
Getting the most out of IRAS
- 17th October 2023 (virtual classroom)
Being able to provide a full, complete and accurate IRAS submission should help to make your approval process run much more smoothly, but many people struggle with some aspects of IRAS.
This half day course is designed to supplement the existing IRAS and HRA guidance by working through the standard and combined review IRAS systems as well as the amendments section in a live environment. We will concentrate on those questions and functions that many applicants struggle with.
NIHR Updates
- Senior Research Leader Programme: Nursing and Midwifery
- NHS consultation on site multiplier and visibility of this impact through an NHS dashboard
- 275,000 volunteers signed up to Be Part of Research registry
- NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (PI) Scheme: Educational Event
- New Terms and Conditions for NIHR Clinical Research Network support
Research Reset Programme Update
DHSC and NHSE have released the final Reset Bulletin, where they outline the achievements of the programme, and how we now build on the Reset approach, now that the programme is formally closing. So although the goals of Reset have been met, the practice of keeping the status of studies up to date continues.
Read more here
UK Trial Managers’ Network (UKTMN) commentary paper on job family survey is published
The UK Trial Managers’ Network have published their Commentary paper, ‘Time for a proper career pathway for clinical trial managers?’, in Trials. This article discusses the findings from two surveys that they ran in June 2022: (i) to all UKTMN members who work in an HEI, and (ii) to all UKCRC-registered Clinical Trials Units (CTUs), via Directors.
Extra £30m a year to boost research careers for healthcare professionals
NIHR will spend an additional £30 million per year to increase research opportunities. It will include funding for a range of new and expanding programmes of activity. This will enable more healthcare professionals (HCPs) to include research in their careers. The support aims to help them develop as highly skilled researchers and research leaders.
Enhanced National Contract Value Review rolls-out across October
From October, the NHS are stopping local negotiation of commercial research prices beyond the Lead NHS Organisation review for later phase studies as outlined in NHSE National Directive for commercial contract research and Devolved Administration equivalents.
NHS organisations and Life Sciences Representatives are empowered to escalate any instances of non-compliance with the UK interactive Costing Tool that generates site specific prices for each study following a Lead NHS Organisation study resource review.
EBP Conference: Leaders in their field and inspirational research careers
Booking is now open for this free online event hosted by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust. Daily sessions running from 10.30am – 1pm/1.30pm on 16-20 October 2023. This virtual conference is free to attend and open to everyone.
Online Introduction to Clinical Trials
- The course introduces the key considerations when designing and conducting a randomised clinical trial.
- Dates of Event: 30th October 2023 – 24th November 2023
Read more here
New Resources
Resources from the NHS Research and Development Forum to support health and care research in the UK:
- Information Governance Information for Organisations Participating in Research Studies – Joint Statement
- A research communications toolkit
- Capacity and Consent to Research
Contacting the R&D Forum
As a reminder, should you need to contact the Forum the best way is via email which is info@rdforum.org.uk
The latest job vacancies displayed on our website.