Research

Branch End Surgery is a research practice.

We collaborate with external researchers who are exploring questions that are important and relevant to general practice.

We have been accredited by the Royal College of General Practice (RCGP) as a ‘Research Ready’ practice. This means that the practice has been endorsed by the RCGP to engage with research projects. We work with the NHS Primary Care Research Network to ensure that any project we are involved in adheres to the highest standards and has achieved ethical approval.

We believe that involvement in research can contribute to the development of services offered by the NHS and ultimately to the health and well being of the population.

You may be invited to become involved in a research project. We are always grateful for the contribution made by any participant in the projects we carry out.

If you decline an invitation to get involved your care at the practice will not be affected in any way. We will always respect each individual’s choice.

If you agree to take part, and the choice is yours, you will be contributing to advances in treatments, interventions and understanding of diseases.

You will also be paid any expenses you experience from being involved.

Quotes from patients in this area who have been involved in research:

“Could help people in the future.”

“I thought my researcher was friendly and made me feel comfortable. I like to think I would be helping other people with depression by taking part”

If you are interested in knowing more about the sort of research we do and to see if you could take part, get in touch with Rob Forder on 01661 842626 or email rob.forder@nhs.net

Primary Care Research

What is Research?

• Research is an investigation that seeks to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
• Clinical Research can also be called a Clinical Trial or a Clinical Study.
• Clinical trials are research studies that involve people.
• They test how well particular treatments work and whether they are safe.
• Clinical trials are designed to answer the following main questions:
  1. Does a treatment work?
  2. Does it work better than other treatments?
  3. Does it have side effects?

What is Primary Care Research?

• Primary Care Research is community based.
• It can include research that takes place in GP Surgeries, dental practices or pharmacies.
• Primary Care Research aims to improve care options and enable future changes to primary care and services.

Other Types of Research

Not all clinical trials involve drugs or treatments. They could also involve:

• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Advising a research team
• Participating as a healthy volunteer

Benefits

• Clinical trials aim to improve the health and quality of life for patients.
• Without clinical trials there is a risk that treatments do not work or could be harmful to patients.
• You can learn more information about your condition and how to manage it.
• You may get access to a new drug or treatment that is only available through a trial.
• You may get faster access or more specialised care.
• You can help support medical science and increase our knowledge of conditions and treatments.

Additional Information

• All research studies are reviewed and approved before they begin.
• Full details of a study and what this means for you will be provided if you agree to be a participant.
• All participation is voluntary. You can withdraw from a study at any time.

More information on research can be found on the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) website.

More information about research in your area can be found at the Making Research Better website and more information about Primary Care research can be found here.

This link is a general website for anyone interested in research opportunities to see what is currently available. This website allows you to find out about medical research and see what opportunities are currently available both by location and by condition: https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/index