The programme for Engage Enthuse Empower Conference on the 13th June 2013 is now finalised and available below. The programme for the full 5 days will be available very soon.

PDF Final programme Engage Enthuse Empower Conference 13th June 2013

Reservation form Engage, Enthuse, Empower 2013

PDF Flyer Engage Enthuse Empower

Developed over the past six months in collaboration with members and the wider medical and research communities, AMRC’s vision for research in the NHS provides a set of guiding principles and practical solutions that the NHS and those working with it can use to achieve this.

The vision is of an NHS where:

• Every patient is offered opportunities to be involved in research
• All NHS staff see the importance of research
• The NHS conducts high-quality research and adopts new treatments

Read more at the AMRC’s website.

The event will feature a keynote address from Dr Pip Logan, an occupational therapist and the chief investigator of a £1.2.M NIHR grant in stroke rehabilitation.

Presentations will follow from radiography and physiotherapy research. The launch event takes place from 5-7.30pm on Wednesday 12 June in the Clinical Sciences Building, City Campus.

Timetable:

5:00 Registration
5:15 Introductions
5:30 Clinical Academic Careers (CAC); Stated, Established & getting a foot in the door.
5:30 Rachel Chester (UEA) Scientific presenting on her NIHR CAT PhD Shld Research
5:50 Pip Logan, on her career as a CAC and
6:10 Cat Riches Non-attendance for Therapy; developed from her Non-Medical Internship (Midlands & East Region).
6:20 Q&As on CAC, with involvement from the floor.
6:30 Refreshments
6:45 Becky Williams, OT; Roosevelt Scholarship
7:00 Carolyn Costigan, Principal Research Radiographer; Radiographic Research
7:15 Martin Scott, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist; Conservative treatment of atraumatic posterior shoulder instability
7:30 Close

To reserve a place, please email Victoria.Booth@nuh.nhs.uk by the end of Monday 3rd June. Any other enquires, please contact Paul.Matthews@nuh.nhs.uk

Low doses of penicillin could help sufferers of leg cellulitis

New research carried out as part of a clinical trial with patients from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, suggests this treatment could also reduce the number of hospital admissions.

The results of the trial, led by Hywel Williams, Professor of Dermato-Epidemiology and Director of the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology at The University of Nottingham, could improve the lives of many thousands of patients who suffer from this painful condition.

“we could improve lives significantly and reduce the number of hospital admissions which result from this long term, painful and disfiguring condition” – Hywel Williams, Professor of Dermato-Epidemiology

Cellulitis of the leg is a common, painful and potentially serious bacterial infection of the skin. It can spread rapidly and often leads to long-term damage. Cellulitis is one of the most common reasons for emergency admissions to hospital and up to half of patients have repeat attacks. Other difficulties such as swelling and ulceration can also occur.

The results of the PATCH I trial, funded by Action Medical Research (AMR), have been published on 1 May 2013 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

PATCH 1 was conceived by the late Professor Neil Cox of Carlisle and co-ordinated by the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network at the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology. The trial was supported by the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit and the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit.

The trial, involving 274 patients from 28 hospitals across the UK and Eire, was designed to see if low dose penicillin (250 mg) taken twice a day for 12 months could prevent further attacks in patients who suffer from repeat episodes of leg cellulitis. Patients who had experienced at least two episodes of leg cellulitis in the last three years were included in this trial. They remained in the trial for up to three years to see whether or not the penicillin was effective only whilst it was being taken, or whether there were longer term benefits after the antibiotics had been stopped.

The PATCH I trial found that patients in the penicillin group were less likely to have another attack of cellulitis compared with the placebo group (22% compared with 37%). However, this protection was gradually lost after patients stopped taking the medication at 12 months. In fact, by three years, around half of all patients in both groups had suffered at least one further episode.

Professor Williams said: “Cellulitis of the leg is common. It causes a lot of pain and distress to patients, and results in time off work or other daily activities. By demonstrating that a simple, low cost and safe intervention such as low-dose penicillin taken for 12 months can reduce the number of repeat episodes, we could improve their lives significantly and reduce the number of hospital admissions which result from this long term, painful and disfiguring condition.

By improving the evidence base on this topic, patients and doctors can make informed choices about the management and prevention of leg cellulitis.”

The research team acknowledge the funding for this study from Action Medical Research and support from National Institute for Health Research Comprehensive Local Research Networks.

NUH will be wearing red for research on Monday 20th May

We’ve come a long way since the world’s first recognised clinical trial in 1747 run by James Lind into the effects of different treatments on scurvy and which is celebrated on International Clinical Trials Day (20 May). Last year, more than half a million NHS patients chose to take part in nearly 3,000 clinical research studies and here in Nottingham more than 8,000 patients every year participate in research and benefit from innovative therapies for common and serious conditions.

“The close partnership between NUH R&I and NIHR is the driving force behind increased trial participation in NUH. More patients every year in Nottingham will be offered the opportunity to take part in NHS research, which will not only benefit them directly but also future patients and improve healthcare across the NHS and worldwide.” – Dr Stephen Fowlie, Medical Director at NUH

The idea behind Wear Red for Research is not only to look vibrant and to give (some) people an excuse to buy something new but to raise awareness of the wealth of clinical research taking place each year in the Trust.

On the 20th May we’ll be wearing something red (uniform policy permitting) to celebrate the work we carry out and we’re asking everyone else to do the same. The day will also be marked by awareness stands at QMC and City Hospital, where people can find out more about how they can take part in clinical trials.

The R&I and NIHR teams working together at Nottingham Health Science Partners will play a central role in helping to establish NUH as the leading acute teaching Trust provider in the UK by 2016.

Our aim is that research and innovation is an essential part of our routine clinical practice and our research findings lead to continued improvements in the quality of the care and treatments available for our patients.

And if wearing red on the 20th May raises awareness of the importance of our research and encourages people to take part, as well as raising a smile then we’ll be on our way to achieving this.

For more information on International Clinical Trials Day and the activities taking part in the Trust, please contact Jane Flewitt on jane.flewitt@nuh.nhs.uk or call 0115 9691169 ext 76772.

Other features in the newsletter include:

• New COPD Study: Using venous versus arterial sampling to guide decision making and treatment in exacerbation of COPD; a prospective cohort study
• Bronchoscopy – A Patient’s Story
• Support for People with Lung Conditions A patients View
• Help make a difference to Cystic Fibrosis patients from Nottingham and beyond
• Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Fund
• British Association for Lung Research Summer Meeting: 10-12th July 2013 “Curing Pulmonary Fibrosis: The Holy Grail” With keynote lecture from Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Peter Mansfield

You can download the pdf newsletter here

With help from Bliss charity and the British Lung Foundation, they have so far had nearly 40 expressions of support from parents of premature babies, teenagers and young adults born premature. Many have volunteered ongoing input to help shape and develop the research plans as part of an advisory panel or as part of a wider virtual group.

Using social media sites has permitted further opportunities of public support to the study. With considerable help from Vikki Develin, PPI Facilitator for the NRRU, the team are exploring more avenues of community engagement to represent a wide socio-cultural viewpoint.

This course is designed to help in the preparation of applications to the National Institute for Health Research or other research funding body. There will be advice given on the importance of literature reviews, quantitative designs, qualitative methods and health economics, the role of your local Research Design Service, other sources of support, funding streams and building a suitable research team. The course is principally aimed at researchers and clinicians who have experience of research but have not previously been principal investigators. Each applicant is asked to submit a research idea which they would like to develop, and these will be used in the workshop sessions.

It takes place at the Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham and numbers will be restricted.

This course will be free of charge to NHS, social care and voluntary sector researchers and their academic partners. Full time students not normally accepted. Applicants will be informed at a later stage if accepted on to the course. To book a place on this course, please see the flyer. Closing date for application is Tuesday 7th May.