Research and Innovation

Research and Innovation
What is clinical research?
Clinical research is the development of improved healthcare, by using evidence to further our knowledge to create new treatments and/or approaches that are both safe and effective. We have around 200 clinical research studies running in our Trust, at various stages of activity; including studies that are open and recruiting patients. Between 1 April 2017 and 13 December 2019 we have recruited 3,452 patients to ethically approved research carried out within the Trust.
Taking part in research is not only about testing new drugs or treatments – we may also carry out research that using information from questionnaires, or laboratory tests. We do this to understand more about the impact of diseases, quality of life, and to discover better ways of understanding the effect of certain treatments.
We could not support hosting clinical research alone. We work in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), who are funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Our Trust is within the geography of the North Thames Clinical Research Network (CRN). We are also grateful to receive on-going support of the King George and Queen’s Hospital Charity.
Our Commitment to Research
The NHS has a legal duty to promote research, and show evidence, whilst finding innovative outcomes to improve patient care, be it to do with new treatments, medicines, processes, or technologies that ultimately lead to an all-round better service provided by the NHS. Our research department commits to the implementation of the NHS long term plan. Research itself is core business in accordance with the NHS constitution, and forms part of the assessment of the well-led aspect of the CQC inspection.
Contact us
If you have any questions about research, please contact us at bhrut.development.research@nhs.net. We are also on Twitter; you can follow us at @BHRUT_Research
Research and Innovation news
Events
Clinical Trials Day is held annually on 20 May. This day is in honour of the first clinical trial, performed by James Lind in 1747 which found the link that citrus fruits can help to treat scurvy in sailors. Research teams internationally celebrate this day every year, and further information will be available as our plans for our next International Clinical Trials Day progress.
Patient story
On Clinical Trials Day 2019, our Trust’s Communications team interviewed one of our previous Patient Research Champions, Helen. Below is the article from the Trust newsletter following the interview:
It was International Clinical Trials Day (Tuesday 21 May), and our Research and Innovation team was working hard to raise awareness of the work they do, hosting a stall in the atrium at Queen’s Hospital. They were lucky to also have on hand one of their biggest champions, Helen Heagren (pictured), who has been on a clinical trial since she was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in 2016.
The 54-year-old told us a little more about why she’s so passionate about spreading the word on the research that takes place in our Trust:
“I knew nothing about clinical trials before I was diagnosed. I decided it was the right thing for me, mainly because I would have given anything a go at that stage.
I had the drug Avastin in my chemotherapy and it helped to shrink my tumour. I haven’t had any treatment for 18 months; however, at my last scan the tumour had grown slightly so I’m being monitored more closely at the moment.
I’ve been really well looked after. I even nominated my clinical trials nurse, Tina Mills-Baldock, for a hero award as she’s been so brilliant, and she won! She just gets me.
The most important thing for me about my trial is that it’s given me hope. I think it’s imperative that research happens, our lives are worth it.
Now I do everything I can to share my experience and encourage others. My cancer is incurable but it doesn’t stop me doing anything – I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”
Clinical Trials
If you wish to join a research study currently open at our Trust, you must first be under the care of this hospital. You should discuss your wishes to be involved in research with your doctor or clinical team as there are strict criteria for each research study and some studies may be more appropriate for you than others. The decision to participate in a research study remains yours, but you may wish to discuss your participation with your family, friends and/or GP.
NIHR ID | Project Full title | Site status | Main Speciality | BHRUT Division |
---|---|---|---|---|
10416 | The UK Multiple Sclerosis Register | Open | Neurological Disorders | |
17199 | Immediate coronary angiography after out of hospital cardiac arrest (ARREST) | Open | Cardiovascular Disease | Acute Medicine |
43094 | Clinical Educators in Emergency Departments - CEED | Open | Trauma and Emergency Care | Acute Medicine |
32889 | Optimisation of Peri-operative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) Trial: Open, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of cardiac output-guided fluid therapy with low dose inotrope infusion compared to usual care in patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery. | Open | Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management | Anaesthetics |
33869 | FLO-ELA | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management | Anaesthetics |
43238 | Critical illness related cardiac arrest (CIRCA) | Open | Critical Care | Anaesthetics |
34023 | Canadian Institutes of Health Research | Open | > Critical Care | Anaesthetics |
N/A | UNITE-COVID-19 | Open | Critical Care | Anaesthetics |
38197 | Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial, Adaptive Platform trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia | Open | Critical Care | Anaesthetics |
30540 | Genetics of susceptibility and mortality in critical care (GenOMICC) | Open | Critical Care | Anaesthetics |
37390 | BLING III study | Set up on hold - Covid 19 | Critical Care | Anaesthetics |
18218 | AML 19: Adults with acute myeloid leukaemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome | Suspended | Cancer | Cancer |
1409 | STAMPEDE: Systemic Therapy in Advancing or Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of Drug Efficacy | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
16675 | FLAIR: Front-Line therapy in CLL: Assessment of Ibrutinib + Rituximab | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
15938 | AML 18: A Trial for Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and High Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
36735 | SUMMIT: Lung cancer screening study using low dose CT to support the development of blood tests for early cancer detection | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
40503 | Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Combination with Lenvatinib (E7080/MK-7902) Versus Pembrolizumab and Matching Placebo as First Line Treatment for Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma in Cisplatin-ineligible Participants Whose Tumors Express PD- L1, and in Participants Ineligible for Any Platinum-containing Chemotherapy Regardless of PD- L1 Expression (LEAP-011) | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
18137 | PARADIGM OlaPArib And RADiotherapy In newly-diagnosed GlioblastoMa: | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
30967 | ROAM | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
20443 | TRACC - Tracking mutations in cell free tumour DNA to predict Relapse in Early Colorectal Cancer | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
42281 | Myeloma XIV (FiTNEss) | Set up on hold - Covid 19 | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
42313 | MONITOR | Set up on hold - Covid 19 | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
44365 | THE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN BRAIN TUMOURS | Set up on hold - Covid 19 | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
34487 | Systematic Genetic Testing For Personalised Ovarian Cancer Therapy (SIGNPOST) | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
15909 | Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery 2: a multicentre randomised trial comparing (extended) pleurectomy decortication versus no (extended) pleurectomy decortication for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MARS 2) | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
18621 | Phase III randomised controlled trial Comparing Alternative Regimens for escalating treatment of intermediate and high-risk oropharyngeal cancer | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
30433 | Randomised, phase II/III, 3 stage trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the addition of olaparib to platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients with TNBC and/or gBRCA | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
34473 | A Cohort Study To Establish the Prevalence of Mutations in Patients with CML Who Meet the ELN Criteria for Warning or Failure and Patients With Ph+ALL With Detectable BCR-ABL1 Currently Being Treated With First or Subsequent TKI Therapy in the UK Using Next Generation Sequencing | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
39645 | Quality of Life After Bladder Cancer (Q-ABC): A comparison of patient related outcomes following radical surgery and radiotherapy |
Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
40432 | A Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo Controlled, Multi-Regional, International Study of Durvalumab in Combination with Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin Versus Placebo in Combination with Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin for Patients With First-Line Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
41941 | Randomised phase II/III study of Rituximab and Ibrutinib (RI) versus Dexamethasone, Rituximab and Cyclophosphamide (DRC) as initial therapy for Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
869 | UK Genetic Prostate Cancer Study | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
1471 | Radiogenomics: assessment of polymorphisms for predicting the effects of radiotherapy | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
9812 | ICON8 and ICON8B - ICON8 Trial Programme (as per protocol v5 dated 17/12/2014) | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
10357 | Leukaemia Lymphoma Research and NCRI Working Group Pick a Winner Programme (LI1) Trial | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
12255 | Optimal Personalised Treatment of early breast cancer using Multiparameter Analysis | Open | Cancer | Cancer and CSS |
4961 | United Kingdom Adult Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) Registry: An Investigation of Disease Progression, Treatment Effectiveness, and Co-morbid Conditions | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Haematology | Cancer and CSS |
37452 | INSPIRE | Suspended | Neurological Disorders | Cancer and CSS |
N/A | Neurological Complications Associated with Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Virus: MRI and CT Features | Open | Neurological Disorders | Cancer and CSS |
40554 | RIvaroxaban for Stroke patients with AntiPhospholipid Syndrome | Set up on hold - Covid 19 | Non Malignant Haematology | Cancer and CSS |
31694 | Phase II Randomised, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial of Neoadjuvant Artesunate in Stage II/III Colorectal Cancer (NeoART trial) | Suspended | Surgery | Cancer and CSS |
N/A | Occupational Stress of Health Care Professionals at BHRUT during the Covid-19 Pandemic | Open | Mental Health | Corporate |
31185 | NOAH-AFNET 6: Non-vitamin K antagonist Oral anticoagulants in patients with Atrial High rate episodes | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Cardiovascular Disease | Specialist Medicine |
17302 | PROgressive Supranuclear Palsy CorTicoBasal Syndrome Mulitple System Atrophy Longitudinal Study UK (PROSPECTMUK) | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Dementias and Neurodegeneration | Specialist Medicine |
18437 | Parkinson's Families Project (PFP) | Open | Dementias and Neurodegeneration | Specialist Medicine |
40906 | CHIEF-PD STUDY | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Dementias and Neurodegeneration | Specialist Medicine |
19837 | DexEnceph: A pragmatic, randomised, controlled, observerblind trial comparing clinical outcomes in adults who receive dexamethasone alongside standard treatment versus standard treatment alone for Herpes Simplex Virus encephalitis. |
Open | Infection | Specialist Medicine |
45388 | Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) | Open | Infection | Specialist Medicine |
14152 | ISARIC: Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Severe Emerging Infection | Open | Infection | Specialist Medicine |
35831 | MS-STAT2 | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Neurological Disorders | Specialist Medicine |
37685 | The EMPA-KIDNEY Study | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Renal | Specialist Medicine |
6726 | National Studies of Rare Kidney Diseases | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Renal | Specialist Medicine |
37304 | RETAKE - Return to Work After Stroke | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Stroke | Specialist Medicine |
33908 | SALIVA TO PREDICT DISEASE RISK (version 1) | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Cancer | Surgery |
20664 | IBD Bioresource | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Gastroenterology | Surgery |
43521 | EAGLE: ESCP sAfe-anastomosis proGramme in colorectaL surgEry | Reviewing Suspension - Covid 19 | Surgery | Surgery |
35821 | UK Cohort study to Investigate the prevention of Parastomal Hernia | Suspended | Surgery | Surgery |
45676 | Neonatal Complications of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Study | Open | Children | Women and Child Health |
34058 | Linagliptin and empagliflozin in children and adolescents (DINAMO) | Suspended | Children | Women and Child Health |
39733 | PReCePT Study – A cluster randomised trial evaluating the impact of an enhanced support implementation of the PReCePT quality improvement toolkit to increase the uptake of magnesium sulphate in pre-term deliveries for the prevention of neurodisabilities | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
Creating positive working and learning environments utilising the Formative Change Laboratory in Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health | |
39971 | The POOL study | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
5774 | Continuation of SAFE (Incorporating RAPID) | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
14162 | Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes of Pandemic Influenza in Pregnancy | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
20626 | GEM3: A double blind placebo controlled trial of a combination of methotrexate and gefitinib versus methotrexate alone as a treatment for ectopic pregnancy | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
14362 | The Cleft Collective Cohort Studies | Open | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
18346 | The Cerclage Suture Type for an Insufficient Cervix and its effect on Health outcomes (C-STICH) | Recruitment on Hold - Covid 19 | Reproductive Health and Childbirth | Women and Child Health |
Download Internet Trials List 13.08.20 [xlsx] 19KB
To search for Clinical Research Studies nationwide, please use the NIHR’s search below. Please be advised, all clinical research studies have an inclusion/exclusion criteria to ensure patient safety. There may be trials that you feel you could be suitable for but please speak with your nurse or doctor, who will be able to advise you further.
Research champions
Patients and the public are at the heart of everything we do, and who would be better to describe the experience of participating in research than those who have taken part in a study themselves?
What is a research champion?
Research Champions volunteer their time to help spread the word about health and care research to patients and the public, and to help promote across those groups who are currently less likely to take part in research. They also help research and healthcare staff understand more about the experiences of those who take part in research.
Anybody can be a Research Champion; you don’t have to have participated in a research study before. Watch below as Dr. William van’t Hoff, Clinical Director for NHS Engagement, talks about the initiative.
Find out more information about the roles of the NIHR Research Champion and how to take part.
Alternatively, contact Ben Sartoris, ben.sartoris@nhs.net for further information.
Research Performance
Please follow the link below to see our performance in initiating and delivering on clinical research trials:
Our team
Our research team works over a number of different clinical areas. If you have a question or want to discuss about a certain clinical specialty, please contact the Research and Innovation Department either on: 01708 435 000 ext. 3711 or email our generic mail box: bhrut.research.development@nhs.net
To read about some of our research team, who participated in our Trust’s ‘In Conversation With...’, please view the links below to read the articles.