To facilitate experimental medicine in Lancashire and South Cumbria, enabling all people in our community to take part in research studies. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Lancashire Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is part of the NIHR and hosted by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The NIHR Lancashire CRF supports and conducts clinical research studies and is based in a purpose-built unit within the Avondale Unit, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Preston Hospital site). We have highly trained nurses, scientists, doctors and support staff dedicated to research. Our outstanding research facilities include a bespoke ward and consulting rooms, a laboratory and specialist equipment. The NIHR Lancashire CRF aims to improve patient care by increasing understanding of the causes of disease and improving diagnosis and treatment. Our collaborative and centralised approach maximises efficiency and ensures the patient voice is central in clinical research. Telephone: 01772 522031 Email: Lancashire CRF@lthtr.nhs.uk The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. NIHR Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) support the delivery of early-phase and complex studies in purpose built facilities in NHS hospitals. The NIHR has awarded £161 million over five years to 28 CRFs across England. The NIHR Lancashire CRF is a partnership between Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Central Lancashire, and Lancaster University. Together the teams provide a unique combination of both physical and mental health research expertise. We conduct research in a wide variety of medical fields, however our priority areas are Cancer, Neurology (including Dementia) and Mental Health. We aim to improve patient care by increasing understanding of the causes of disease and improving diagnosis and treatment. Our research has been published in top journals and received national awards and recognition. AGILE CST-2 study (COVID19) One such trial was the AGILE platform trial. In AGILE CST-2 the CRF treated COVID19 positive patients with either an anti-viral drug called Mulnupiravir or a placebo. Patients were followed up with routine visits for up to one month to assess symptoms and if they are improving. This trial was reported on ITV news. PERSICA-002 study (Back Pain) If you are interested in part B of this study, please contact us via phone 01772 522031 or email us LancashireCRF@lthtr.nhs.uk Peter Hamlyn, Consultant Spinal Neurosurgeon, Co-Founder of Persica “After a lifetime searching for a treatment that would definitively relieve my patients’ suffering, the scientific team at Persica have delivered a World first in a therapy, relevant to a huge number of these patients, that genuinely offers to cure the underlying cause of their problem.” GALAHAD (Cancer) The results of this study were published in the Lancet Oncology here. You can see a list of our current active trials CRF Director “I am inspired by our patient’s generosity in choosing to be involved with clinical research to help mould the future of healthcare” Nita Desai “Diversity and Inclusion are about giving value and opportunity to every human being, no matter our differences.” Every day thousands of patients, carers and the public go the extra mile to help NIHR make research happen. From taking part in clinical trials to working in partnership with researchers, clinicians, social care practitioners and health professionals to improve the quality of our research, how it is designed, delivered and then used to change treatment and care. - NIHR National Institute of Health and Research statement We have members of the public involved in all stages of our research projects. This can start from the very beginning of a project, with individuals sharing their life and healthcare experiences to develop the important research questions and make sure they are relevant and important to modern life. We have an active Lay Research Group (LRG) to ensure that we represent the patient and publics opinion, to ensure that research is driven by the community for the community. The LRG vision is to “build an informed and engaged patient and public membership and to embed members in committees and research teams to advise on how research is planned, conducted and communicated both internally and to the wider community.” LRG aims to: If you want to get involved, People in Research is a web-based resource for members of the public who are looking for opportunities to get involved in research. Alternatively visit the NIHR Patients, Carers and the Public website. Although there has been huge progress in the development of new treatments and medicines, there is still a lot that we do not know. Research can answer questions, filling in the gaps in knowledge and changing the way doctors and health professionals look after their patients. This means improved treatment and care for you and your family. Clinical research provides the only reliable evidence for safe, effective healthcare. Without patient and public volunteers that evidence can’t be gained and new treatments cannot be provided. A clinical trial is a particular type of research that tests treatments. They are often carried out on a small number of people to begin with, before moving to a larger population. At the NIHR Lancashire CRF we focus on this initial 'early phase' work. Therefore, clinical trials find out: Trials are being undertaken every day within the NHS and are often managed by hospital doctors and health professionals that may be looking after you. A wide variety of different patients take part in our research studies. This may include male and female, young and old, all ethnic groups and patients with a variety of medical conditions. However, each study looks at something very specific; they will have strict eligibility rules for who is suitable to take part. However, if you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial you can speak to your doctor to see if there are any studies that you may be eligible for. The simple answer is no. Taking part in research is entirely voluntary. You may be approached by your doctor or nurse and invited to take part. You will be provided with an information sheet and have time to think about the study and ask any questions you wish. If you decide not to take part in a clinical trial your NHS treatment will not be effected and you will continue to be looked after like any other patient. And if you do decide to take part, but change your mind, you can leave the study at any time. Clinical trials assess treatments and technologies, whilst other research studies aim to understand health and specific conditions better through testing of new approaches, monitoring or observation. All drugs, including the ones we routinely prescribe to patients, may have side effects. In clinical trials potential risks are carefully balanced against the benefits. Trials are designed to keep risks to a minimum and patients are closely monitored. The reasons people take part in a study vary. Taking part in research is perceived by some people as ‘giving something back’ to benefit others in the future. Other people feel that they personally benefit from the treatment and drugs provided and are reassured by the close medical monitoring and check-ups provided by the researchers. Every study is different as all research is planned to investigate something specific, meaning the duration of the trial and the investigations required, (e.g. blood sampling, ECG, x-rays) will vary. Therefore it is difficult to say specifically what you may experience during a study. However, bear in mind that all research is carefully planned and you will be provided with more detailed information if you participate in a study. All NHS organisations (including Health & Social Care in Northern Ireland) are expected to participate and support health and care research. The Health Research Authority set standards for NHS organisations to make sure they protect your privacy and comply with the law when they are involved in research. For further information about how your information may be used can be found here. If you are considering taking part in research we would encourage you to contact your doctor, health professional or research nurse for further information. With research embedded into the fabric and work of the trust, patients can be confident of the same excellent standards of care and safety they expect across our services. Before it begins, all research involving NHS staff, facilities, service users, patients, their carers or relatives will always have been approved by an independent research ethics committee and other regulatory authorities, and will have been reviewed by the Trust to ensure that it is safe and appropriate to conduct. “We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in everything we do. Diverse people and communities shape our research, and we strive to make opportunities to participate in research an integral part of everyone’s experience of health and social care services. We develop researchers from multiple disciplines, specialisms, geographies and backgrounds, and work to address barriers to career progression arising from characteristics such as sex, race or disability.” – NIHR Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion is about giving value and opportunity to every human being, no matter our differences. It is essential that the research we conduct at the NIHR Lancashire CRF is relevant to the communities that we serve, and that we accurately reflect the makeup of local populations in our patient groups. Our goals In order to make sure that we are fairly and accurately representing individual patients as well as our local communities, we are aiming to: Serving a population of 1.8 million and providing a range of care in both a secondary and tertiary healthcare setting, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is well placed to make a real impact on the health of the region through evidence based practice. The NIHR Lancashire CRF benefits from its close proximity to a number of quality academic institutions as well as being a provider of a number of specialist services across the region. Research in the NHS is a perpetually evolving landscape yet the key role it has to play in the future of the NHS is clear. The NHS Constitution cites that ‘the NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism…through its commitment to innovation and to the promotion and conduct of research to improve the current and future health and care of the population’. The NIHR Lancashire CRF has produced a library of standard operating procedures (SOPs). These SOPs have been created for those undertaking research within Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in order to provide clear guidance on the conduct of a study. Read the "MyPad" research paper The LCRF has supported the recruitment and delivery of over 16 trials in neurology. Supporting a LTHTr Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Dr Christian DeGoede, the LCRF has delivered the MyPad study in collaboration with the School of Engineering at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). The study, trialling an Intelligent Bladder Pre-void Alerting System, recruited healthy children in the LCRF to gain information about the comfort and durability of the device. This is one of our first studies to run over a weekend period and would not have been possible without the facility and the NIHR funding. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/research/ https://www.uclan.ac.uk/research https://local.nihr.ac.uk/prc/blackpool/ This database contains details of the research and publications outputs of staff and students at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The database was launched in August 2019 and currently holds information about research published from 2015 to the present. If you have any questions please contact library@lthtr.nhs.uk Are you publishing research conducted in the NIHR Lancashire CRF or supported by NIHR funded research teams? If so please use this NIHR acknowledgment wording. Failure to comply could mean financial penalties for the Trust. NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility's opening hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday We have one inpatient room, and three outpatient rooms. The inpatient room offers the following: The outpatient rooms offer the following: In addition to the clinical rooms we have: Patients If you are a patient keen to be involved with Research at Lancashire CRF speak to your disease specialist, contact 01772 522031 or LancashireCRF@lthtr.nhs.uk Investigators We would be delighted to discuss what we can offer to support your clinical trial. Please contact Research.Access@lthtr.nhs.uk Sponsors For industry Sponsors looking for clinical Research sites please contact the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Research Access Team at Research.Access@lthtr.nhs.uk We are extremely grateful for any donations received to further the work performed at the Lancashire CRF. If you would like to support the work we do, please visit our dedicated Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity site. Please make it clear when you donate to the charity that you would like your funds to go to the NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility. If you have any queries about making a donation, please contact the CRF Manager. Current Funding Goals Clinical Educator A Clinical Educator covers aspects of specialist training required for increasingly advanced clinical trials. A Point-of-care (POC) Urinalysis Machine Electronic urinalysis machines allow for rapid, accurate and repeatable results for what is an important (if rarely celebrated) aspect of many clinical trials. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial?utm_source=ecmcwebsite Our address is: NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility Avondale Unit, Royal Preston Hospital, Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood, PR2 9HTNIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility
Our vision
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As part of the national response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the NIHR Lancashire CRF was involved in a number of clinical trials assessing the efficacy and safety of treatment options..png)
Low back pain is a common and often debilitating condition for patients. The NIHR Lancashire CRF was one of a few select sites worldwide involved in the early phase PERSICA-002 Part A trial using an antibiotic injection around the discs of the spine. Patients were reviewed at outpatient appointments for up to one year to monitor the effects. This study has now moved to the next stage offering two injections with to monitor the beneficial effect this may have on patients..jpg)
The Galahad trial was aimed at men with Prostate Cancer that had spread throughout the body (metastasised) who had specific anomalies in their DNA. Patients took the trial drug Niraparib as a tablet with regular visits to the CRF for blood tests and physical exam to check the effect the drug was having and any possible side effects. Regular imaging scans were arranged to assess the effectiveness of the drug at preventing progression of the disease.
NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility - Meet the team
Dennis.Hadjiyiannakis@lthtr.nhs.uk
Dr Dennis Hadjiyiannakis, Consultant Oncologist
“I am keen to help investigators across all disciplines to develop clinical research. Particularly, to rise to the challenges demanded by experimental medicine studies.”
CRF Manager
RN Jacqueline Bramley
Jacqueline.Bramley@lthtr.nhs.uk
01772 528260
CRF Senior Research Sister
RN Karen Jones
Karen.Jones4@lthtr.nhs.uk
01772 522031
CRF Senior Clinical Fellow
Dr David Cameron
David.Cameron@lthtr.nhs.uk
01772 522031
CRF Clinical Research Nurse
Elizabeth Coates
01772 522031
Elizabeth.Coates@lthtr.nhs.uk
CRF Clinical Research Nurse
RN Helen Cross
Helen.Cross@lthtr.nhs.uk
CRF Assistant Practitioner
Mathew Anuj
Mathew.Anuj@lthtr.nhs.uk
01772 522031
EDI Champion
Nita.Desai@lthtr.nhs.uk
01772 522031
Why do research?
What is a clinical trial?
Who takes part in research trials?
Do I have to take part?
Is it safe?
What are the benefits for me?
What will happen to me during a research study?
How will my personal information be used for research?
Where can I get further information?
There are also various websites you may like to visit:
Here you can read, watch videos and listen to audio clips about the experiences of people who have already taken part in research.
National Institute for Health Research – where you can find out more about research in the NHS.
Here you can find much more information about research and clinical trials as well as links to useful resources.
Here you can search for different studies running in the NHS.Our assurance to you
Strong regulation and management
Industry
Why collaborate with us?
Partnering with us gives you:
Case study: MyPad (Dr Christian DeGoede)
Our research partners and affiliate organisations
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Lancaster University
University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)
NIHR
Rosemere Cancer Foundation
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The most recent publications crediting the Lancashire CRF:
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33242117/
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33686533/
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31874941/
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33040293/
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32571859/
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32090271/
LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32829986/Inpatient and Outpatient
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Additional Facilities
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Here you can read, watch videos and listen to audio clips about the experiences of people who have already taken part in research.
Here you can find much more information about research and clinical trials as well as links to useful resources.
Here you can search for different studies running in the NHS.
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