Research and Development

About the Research Team

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) Research team is committed to taking part in health research, aimed at improving patient care, developing better treatments and increasing our understanding of disease. Our role is to support GP practices and LCHS colleagues by facilitating research studies across Lincolnshire that are either: 

  • On the National Institute of Health and Social Care (NIHR) portfolio.

  • Non-portfolio studies that are carried out by our colleagues for academic reasons or areas of interest. 

The team consists of staff employed by LCHS and externally funded staff.  They ensure that all research carried out in the community and primary care is ethically sound and approved by the relevant organisations as well as supporting the recruitment and facilitation of studies. 

The team work closely with the University of Lincoln, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) as well as the other NHS Trusts in the county, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (LPFT) and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS). 

Objectives:

  1. To increase the opportunities for people of Lincolnshire to become involved in research.
  2. Improving the health and wellbeing of people in Lincolnshire through engaging in high quality research.

LCHS is involved in different types of health research studies, such as:

  • Clinical trials that investigate a drug, surgery, or medical device in healthy volunteers or people who have a specific disease.
  • Genetic studies that find the role of our genes in different diseases.
  • Behavioural studies that test how people act in different circumstances.
  • Observational studies involve a group of people is observed for many years.
  • Physiological studies to assist us to better understand how the human body functions.
  • Prevention studies that test the ways to prevent specific conditions or diseases.
  • Public health research aims to improve the health and well-being of people from a population-level perspective; they can be one, or a combination of the above types of research.

If you are interested in being involved in a research study, you can contact the LCHS Research team by emailing: lhnt.team.research@nhs.net or 01522 572890.

You can also search for research studies through the Be Part of Research website.

You can also visit the INVOLVE website Researchers advertise opportunities for patient and public involvement in research studies, through the involve newsletter.

Approval Processes

If you would like to know more about the research approval processes for research carried out in the NHS or involving NHS staff, please visit the Health Research Authority website.

If you have a research idea or would like to know more about how to become involved in research please don’t hesitate to contact our Research Department on either 01522 572890 or email us at lhnt.team.research@nhs.net

Research Design Service East Midlands 

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) launched in October 2023, providing free and confidential advice and expertise for health and care researchers in England. The RSS provides support at every stage of the research journey, from pre-application through to post-award delivery.

The RSS replaces the NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) which came to an end on 30 September 2023. For further information please visit the RDS website.

Clinical Research Network (CRN) study support

The Study Support Service in the East Midlands provides support to all key NHS healthcare sectors; Acute, Mental Health/Community Health Services, Primary Care and includes independent providers of NHS services. They are able to work flexibly across health sectors and patient pathways for different types of studies and disease areas and can draw on the expertise of different NHS and Clinical Research Network staff as required.

If you would like to know more about the work of the CRN Study Support Services please visit the National Institute for Health Research website.

View the recent submissions made by the Trust by visiting the CTP Submission Platform.

Participation in research is one of the requirements of the CQC. It includes:

  • Raising awareness of research
  • Informing patients and staff of research studies currently available
  • Enabling patients the opportunity to be recruited to studies
  • For GP practices, completion of the RCGP Research Ready Accreditation (RRA) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). These support staff’s personal development and enables them to carry out research tasks safely and effectively as per the study protocol

GCP and RRA support practices to carry out research safely and effectively as per the protocol. More information can be found on the Research at RCGP website or the Good Clinical Practice website.

The RSI scheme was started by the Clinical Research Network (CRN) to support GP practices to become involved in research. Through the scheme there is a commitment to complete a set number of studies during the year. This is managed by the CRN primary care team. For further information, please contact us on email: lhnt.team.research@nhs.net or call us on 01522 572890.

If you have any suggestions or comments that you wish to make in respect of our website, or you would like more information abou research studies, please email, lhnt.team.research@nhs.net, please include your contact details (name, address and telephone number on which we can contact you).

To read our latest tweets please visit our Twitter account.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
Beech House
Waterside South
Lincoln
LN5 7JY
 
Back to Our Services Date last modified 07/11/2023