CRN Update Issue 3

CRN UPDATE THE CRN: NORTH THAMES NEWSLETTER | Issue 3
CRN Update
The CRN: North Thames
Newsletter
Issue 3
170 Tottenham Court Road
London W1T 7HA
Delivering clinical research to make patients, and the NHS, better
Early Success
Dr. James Lyddiard, Chief Operating Officer
It is now seven months since CRN North Thames was established so it is
a good opportunity for us to take stock on progress. Across the
Partnership we have had an extremely successful period, recruitment
activity is higher for almost all of our partner organisations and as a
whole have recruited 35,467 patients in the first 6 months. This is
excellent news as we are exceeding expectation and are well ahead of
our targets as well as being the highest recruiting CRN nationally.
NOVEMBER 2014
announce that we have now appointed to the vacant Clinical Specialty
Lead posts and we are pleased to say that the following individuals
have taken up appointment:
CRN Now
Dr. Simona Cicero
Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto
Dr. Stefano Fedele
Dr. John Hurst
Dr. Andrew Kelso
Dr. Kieran McCafferty
Dr. Michael Mullen
Reproductive Health
The CRN: North
Respiratory Newsletter
Thames
Neurology
Joint Leads for Oral and Dental
Renal (from 1/4/15)
r Cardiovascular
These new clinical leaders will add to our current
complement
of
170 Tottenham
Court Road
clinicians working to enhance the strategic planning of the research
portfolio in these key areas. We will shortly be advertising for a vacant
Clinical Divisional Lead post for Division, cancer (1PA), but in the
meantime it would be good if any interested parties could get in touch.
London, W1T
7HA
The work to develop a single system for RM&G approvals across the
network continues through the R&D Advisory Group. It is essential for
us to have workable plans in place to enable a smooth transition of
HRA process in 2015. We will keep you informed as we finalise and
begin to implement plans.
We recruit to all Specialties and are significantly contributing to the
national specialty objectives and activity. Areas of particular note are
mental health, stroke, hepatology, anaesthesia and ophthalmology
where we are the highest recruiting Network nationally. The strength
of our effectiveness resides in the established research culture, the
engagement of Investigators as well as the dedicated workforce and
strength of the local clinical leadership. We are therefore delighted to
Lyn and I continue to travel around the Network, as we get to know our
member Trusts, understand their potential to deliver research and how
we might be able to support them. Our Research Delivery Managers
and their teams are supporting us in this and we are finding the
enthusiasm for engaging in research across the region is striking and
demonstrates the vibrant research culture already in place.
As some of you will know, the delivery of the national Central Portfolio
Management System (CPMS) has been delayed further and is hoped to
go live late in 2014. Locally work is also progressing on the
procurement of a Local Portfolio Management System (LPMS). We are
undertaking a joint procurement with the other London Networks
CRN UPDATE THE CRN: NORTH THAMES NEWSLETTER | Issue 3
sharing our knowledge, experience and hopefully driving economies of
scale on purchase. We have an ambitious timescale engaging with our
local user group and aim to begin roll-out of the system in March 2015.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank a number of staff who are
leaving the core team, Alastair Nicholson and Gill Hood are both off to
pastures new and we wish them well. I would also like to welcome a
number of new starters who have joined the team, Subhir Bedi as Head
of RM&G, and Heidi Chandler as Deputy Delivery Manager (Division 3).
Network Vacancy
An exciting opportunity to apply for a role as Research Delivery
Manager with CRN North Thames is now live on NHS jobs:
https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/28dbcb8509f4d1ae2f55a4b40409a
3bd/?vac_ref=913561644
Meet the Network
This month we are pleased to introduce our new Head of RM&G and
two more of our six Divisional Research Delivery Managers.
Subhir Bedi, Head of RM&G
Subhir started his career in healthcare research
after completing postgraduate work at Newcastle
University. He began working in Research
management in 2009 when he joined
Southampton NHS R&D, later moving to similar
roles within London based Trusts including Senior
Research Governance Manager
at
Great
Ormond Street Hospital. Subhir then made the
leap into the NIHR after joining as the former
London and South East MCRN as a network manager. Whilst in this
position Subhir worked closely with industry and research groups to
enhance the portfolio of children’s research covering 33 NHS sites. With
a strong background in research management and governance and
industry collaboration Subhir led the GOSH permission centre as the
commercial liaison officer for the UCLP-harmonisation project, whilst
carrying on the role of Deputy Research Delivery manager for Division
3. Subhir has a keen interest in RM&G and is committed to ensuring,
through his new position as Head of RM&G, this activity within CRN
North Thames goes from strength to strength. This is a key time for
RM&G with the HRA on the horizon and the ongoing local consultation.
Phillip Smith, Research Delivery Manager:
Cancer
Phil Smith brings to the role a great depth and breadth of experience in
research, management, NHS engagement and most of all the successful
delivery of research. Via a variety of roles Phil has provided leadership to
support the transformation of the way research is perceived
and managed in the NHS. Over the last 6 years he
has been part of the Essex and Hertfordshire
Comprehensive Local Research network and has
held responsibilities for the Senior Management
of the network, Research Delivery, Commercial
Research, Research Governance and workforce
development. Phil has a very strong desire to
make CRN: North Thames the best place for
research, and in particular cancer research, for the
benefit of patients, researchers, Trusts and the wider economy.
Tania Page, Research Delivery Manager: Mental
Health, Neurology & Dementia
Tania Page is a New Zealand trained Registered
Nurse, with over 15 years of nursing experience,
she has gained a wealth of knowledge working in
acute settings with children and adults. In 2001,
Tania embarked on her research journey working
as a research nurse in a leading Phase 1 Clinical
Research Facility in London and from there has
continued to develop a growing interest and
moved from corporate into the NHS environment.
Her current role as a Research Delivery Manager facilitating Mental
Health, Dementia, Neurodegenerative and Neurological Disorders
research in the NHS will be the most challenging to date. Tania is
working closely with local trusts and clinicians to ensure that research is
part of the clinical pathway and that patients are made aware of how to
be involved. She looks forward to working with you all.
Trust Success in Blood Clot Study
Queens Hospital in Romford, part of the Barking, Havering and
Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, is England’s top recruiting
site (out of 32) for an important study comparing a blood thinning
injection with a blood thinning tablet for people with cancer who have a
blood clot. You can read more on our website:
http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/blog/news/crn-north-thames-trust-is-toprecruiting-site/
Chair gets involved
The Chairman of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust has led the way for those wishing to get involved in
Research, and has himself volunteered to take part in a recent study
running at the Trust. The news was featured in a local newspapers and
you can view the full article on our website:
http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/blog/news/trust-chair-takes-part-in-research
GCP Training
CRN North Thames co-ordinate training across all their Trusts
and can assist with registering for courses via LMS.
Dates are now available for 2015. To view these and find out
more please visit our website:
http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/north-thames/about/training/
Staff Contacts
Don’t forget you can also find a full list of all our staff contact
details on the website:
http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/resources/crn-north-thames-key-contacts/