Health and Care Research

What is health and care research and why is it important?

We are committed to our population living happier and healthier lives. Research is one way that we can make this happen by providing the evidence to improve treatments and care. This could be by testing new medicines or vaccines or by completing questionnaires to help us understand how people feel about the care they receive.

Benefits to taking part in research can include learning more about your health or receiving closer monitoring. Taking part in a project may not always help you directly, but you will be helping to improve services and treatments now and in the future.

Health and care research adds to our knowledge and understanding about diagnoses, treatments and care, and people’s lived experiences. This knowledge helps us to deliver better services and contributes to the best health and wellbeing for people. Publishing the learning from research widely can positively impact health and care locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

There is a specific need to increase the diversity of people who get involved in research, both as research recruits, and in study design. We know there is a prevalence of white, older people who get involved in research. Without diverse participants in research, there is a risk that research outcomes will not be as effective across diverse population groups and that research trials will not be designed to meet the needs of a diverse population.

Get Involved - Be part of Research

Be Part of Research is a UK-wide service that helps people understand what research is and what it might mean to take part. It also shows what research is currently happening across the UK.

You can create a free account or search for trials and studies into health conditions you’re interested in, at locations near you. See video below for more details. The link to sign up is: https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/.

Research Engagement Network

The Research Engagement Network supports and champions the involvement of patients and the public in research, working with volunteers and Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprises (VCFSEs) across all stages of the research process, and providing advice and guidance to researchers on good practice.

The team also work to raise the profile of research to encourage participation in and engagement with research studies by working with local communities. In collaboration with our system partners we are delivering an NHS England funded initiative called Research Engagement Networks (REN).

Our local Research Engagement Network is coordinated by the Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) and in collaboration with Thinklusive.

This initiative creates a platform for researchers to exchange experiences, foster learning and support under-represented groups to participate in research.

The Network:

Builds a local research environment that is supportive and inclusive for our diverse communities.
Builds trusting, mutually beneficial relationships with the community and VCFSE sector.
Listens to, and understands, local communities better.
Collaborates with community members and organisations to make research more inclusive and representative.
Highlights the need for making reasonable adjustments within research happening locally.
Provides a check and challenge to local research teams to create more accessible research.
Offers input, ideas, and recommendations to teams at all stages of the research process.

The Research Engagement Network for Norfolk and Suffolk comprise two key elements: the virtual network and community research hubs. These are funded jointly by NHS England and the Regional Research Delivery Network.

Virtual Network

What is it?

This is a virtual network for VCFSE groups to interact with researchers and research delivery teams to hear how they can become involved in various research studies and access training.

What does it do?

The purpose of the network is to highlight research projects to VCFSE groups that are interested in research and to hear from researchers who want to engage with VCFSE groups to enhance their studies.

Max Clark (Thinklusive) chairs a meeting every two months (1 hour, online) to hear presentations from researchers and research delivery teams to highlight relevant research projects to VCFSE groups. Max also regularly shares research projects via email so that VCFSE groups can take part in research if it is relevant to them.

Who can attend and take part?

This network is open to anyone interested in research across Norfolk and Suffolk, working in a VCFSE organisation. You do not have to have any previous experience of research. We know research can be intimidating, and there is usually lots of conversation between colleagues. These meetings are informal, and it is ok to just listen to the conversation.

What do I need to do to join the network?

Please complete the survey below to register to receive emails and the dates of upcoming meetings.

Community Research Hubs

What are they?

The community research hubs are designed to set up a process in eight local areas across Norfolk and Suffolk to support VCFSE groups to recruit members of their communities into research studies. This is important as it makes research more representative of the population and gives access to new treatment approaches that wouldn’t have been available previously.

What do they do?

Each of the hubs is a collection of around three VCFSE groups that have come together to form a core group. Currently, hubs are up and running in Great Yarmouth, Thetford, Waveney, King’s Lynn and Norwich. The VCFSE groups work together with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), Regional Research Delivery Network, Community Action Norfolk and other partners to find ways in which they can recruit members of their communities into research studies or they can support research nurses to run clinics in their community spaces.

To support the hubs, the ICB brings together all partners with the VCFSE groups that are leading each hub once a month to share learning and find out what support is needed.

Who can take part?

Once hubs are established, VCFSE groups in those areas are advised to contact their local hub in the first instance to see how they can get involved. Information on the local hubs can be obtained by contacting nwicb.researchinnovation@nhs.net. We are in the process of establishing three new hubs across Suffolk and the process for this is being led through the virtual network.