NHS Research Scotland

NRS Infectious Diseases Network

5 Sept 2017Dr Charles Weller

Research Strategy

• Economic growth and NHS improvement can be driven through Research and Innovation

“Health research is one of this country’s key

strengths, and it is essential that we utilise this

national resource to the fullest.”

Ms Shona Robison MSP,

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport

Delivering Innovation through Research Scottish Government Health and Social Care Research Strategyhttp://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/10/5164

The vision for Scottish clinical research

“to support and increase the level of high quality health research conducted in Scotland for the health and financial benefits of our population, so that Scotland is recognised globally as a “come to place” for health science.”Professor Andrew MorrisChief Scientist, Scottish Government Health Directorates

Clinical research• is central to the ethos of an evidence-based, person-

centred healthcare system• provides access for Scottish patients to clinical trials• helps support inward investment to Scotland

Chief Scientist Office

• CSO, part of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, is responsible for the policy and funding of NHS research, and of the ethics system in Scotland

• NHS Research Scotland Support Budget - £40m• meets the costs to the

NHS of hosting and participating in clinical research

• Supports NRS research infrastructure

• around 190 wte NHS posts (research nurses, data managers, radiologists etc.)

• NRS Fellowship Schemes

NHS Research Scotland

• Partnership– CSO

– NHS Boards in Scotland

• Collaboration– Academic Institutions

– Commercial companies

• Aim– Agree & Implement national policy

– Deliver efficiency through pan-Scotland working

No gap between policy, funding and delivery:All round the table working to the same agenda

Regional working

6

North

East

SouthWest

• 4 hubs• Ethics, R&D Local Permissions• Biorepositories• Safe Havens

• National Support• SHARE• Central Management Team• Permissions Coordinating

Centre • NRS Network

Ethics

• Research Ethics and R&D Offices are co-located in the four Scottish lead Boards

• Four regional Scientific Officers manage the 11 Research Ethics Committees

• The Research Ethics Service in Scotland is integrated into the UK-wide national service

Coordinated Permissions

• The Permissions Coordinating Centre in Aberdeen is a dedicated, central point for handling Scottish multisite reviews

• There is a single Scottish review process:

• Generic review: Study-wide issues, costs and contracts are considered once for Scotland

• Local review: Local issues only

• Approvals are integrated into the UK system – HRA/NISCHR/NI

• Driver for change across the system

UK context

Funding• Health Departments collaborate on initiatives

– CSO buys into NETSCC programmes

• UK Research Councils

Governance• Unified Research Ethics System• Common Research Governance Framework • Common Costing Template• Standard Contracts

• Differences mainly due to local structures & policies

Scottish Biorepositories

• Scotland has taken a light touch non-statutory approach to collection, storage and use of tissue (using HTA standards)

• All NHS tissue collections have been brought within one of four approved NRS biorepositories– National catalogue of tissue collections for research– National arrangements in place for co-ordinated provision of stored

tissue– National arrangements in place for co-ordinated collection of fresh

tissue– National access to pathology archive

• Single NRS contracting and costing agreement for Scotland in place

Unique patient identifier enables linking data from cradle to grave …

Maternity

BIRTH

DEATH

Neonatal Record SMR11

Child health surveillance

Immunisation

GP consultations

Dental SMR13

Out patients SMR00 Hospital Admissions SMR01

Mental Health SMR04

Prescribing Screening

Community care SMR50

Cancer registrations SMR06

Cancer registry

Linkable NHS Records

Data Safe Havens

• Regional ‘Safe Havens’ provided rapid access to high quality health data for research purposes.

• All data remains under the control of the NHS and complies with all legislative and NHS policies

SHARE

• SHARE is a Scotland-wide register of people who have agreed to the use of their electronic health records to assess study eligibility

• Includes consent for use of “spare blood”

• NRS core funded infrastructure –available now to help identify recruits for studies

• Over 170,000 people have signed up

www.registerforshare.org

Central Management Team

NRS CMT

Central Coordination

Industry partnership

Research Networks

Information and Quality

Academic Collaboration

(HSS)

Communications

Fiona Fleming,

Simon Cree

Charles Weller

Steven Burke

Stephen Kelly

Ian Anderson

Dawn Williamson

CMT is hosted within

Biomedical Backbone

• Purpose built biomedical research institutes

• Integrated Clinical Research Facilities• accredited Clinical Trials Units

The NRS Network

• NRS supports 23 separate Topic Research Networks and Research Specialty Groups

• Their primary goal is overseeing and driving recruitment to studies

• All eligible or commercial studies are supported by at least one Network or SG

• Each Network or Specialty Group has a dedicated manager who oversees their portfolio and monitors recruitment

• Together, this ensures national oversight of all eligible studies within each specialty

The NRS Network

Research Networks

CancerDementia & Neurodegeneration

Diabetes

Mental Health Paediatrics Primary Care

Stroke

Research Champions

Cardiovascular Reproductive Health Musculoskeletal Health

Specialty Groups

Age & Ageing Critical care Dermatology

Gastroenterology Genetics Haematology

Hepatology Infectious Diseases Metabolic &Endocrine

Ophthalmology Oral and Dental Renal

Respiratory

17

• 7 Networks – Cancer, Mental Health, Children, Stroke, Diabetes,

Dementia & Neurodegeneration, Primary Care

• 3 Champions with dedicated portfolio managers – Reproductive Health, Musculoskeletal and

Cardiovascular

• 13 Specialties with Clinical Leads, shared Portfolio Managers and administrative support

• Aim is for each study to be overseen by one Network or Specialty Group

NRS Networks and SGs

18

Role of the Specialty Groups

• National perspective

• Delivery of high quality clinical research (commercial and non-commercial)

• Provide information and support to researchers within the Specialty

• Oversee participant recruitment to time and target

• Both for studies which are led from Scotland, and studies led from other nations which Scottish sites are participating in.

What studies do we support?

• Studies which are defined as “research”

• involve NHS patients, data, staff or facilities,

• Eligible for the Scottish research portfolio

– See “CSO Funding Guidance” on NRS Website

– Peer reviewed, awarded in open competition

– Commercial studies

– Can adopt overseas funded and industry collaborations

20

• Support from Networks and Specialty Groups

• Access to core infrastructure support- E.g CRF and Nurse resource provided by Boards

• Treatment and support costs involved in conducting research do not need to be covered by Grant.– UK wide ACoRD guidance

• Board receives researcher support funding for eligible studies

Benefits of Portfolio Eligibility

21

Eligible Funders

• Major charities and research councils

• Other eligible funders include:

– British HIV Association (BHIVA)

– British Infection Association (BIA)

– Healthcare Infection Society

– Health Protection Agency (HPA)

• A full list is available on the NRS website

22

• The earlier the Portfolio Manager and R&D are contacted, the better the support!

• Grants may not need to include treatment or support costs – early discussion helps to define these

• Some costs must be recovered from funders – there could be problems if they are not included

• This should take place before applying for R&D approval, when grants are being put together

Talk to Portfolio managers, or R&D!

23

• Primarily based on recruitment and number of studies actively recruiting within each financial year (Apr-Mar)

• Some awareness of the complexity of studies

• Studies which do not have consented recruit, or where sites are Participant Identification Centres (PICs) not counted

How is activity measured?

24

Number of non-commercial studies

25

• Commercial studies explicitly included

• Keen to develop and support additional studies

• Industry Liaison Manager in CMT

– Steven Burke

• Information usually confidential

Commercial Studies

26

Number of commercial studies

• Provide advice on study design and feasibility

• Signposting funding opportunities

• Troubleshooting issues with poor recruitment

• Facilitating access to resource to support studies

• Sharing information on new studies

How can NRS help?

28

Keep up to date!

• Research Matters– Issued quarterly

• Website and Twitter– www.nrs.org.uk

• Monthly ebulletin

• Any contributions or queries to:

communications@nrs.org.uk

@NHSResearchScot

Register now!

Register at www.nrsconference.org.uk

31

Contacts

Clinical LeadProfessor Stephen Gillespie

stephen.gillespie@nihr.ac.uk

Performance ManagerAmanda Wood/Fay Crawford

amanda.wood3@nhs.net / fay.crawford@nhs.net

AdministratorJillian Strachan

jillianstrachan@nhs.net

Thank you for your attention

Charles WellerGeneral Manager

NHS Research Scotland Central Management Teamcharles.weller@nrs.org.uk