NCA’s new Research and Innovation strategy sets out ambitious, wide-ranging and inclusive plans for patient-centred research that can address local and national priorities.
The strategy for 2022-27 aims to embed a vibrant culture for research, innovation and improvement across the Trust, with pioneering opportunities for all, that advances and rapidly translates knowledge to save and improve lives.
Its key components are:
- To embed an academic culture of inclusivity across all NCA services and care organisations, with opportunities available for academic development of all grades of staff
- To be an international leader of research, innovation and health improvement across key specialist services aligned to organisational expertise
- To strengthen the R&I infrastructure of those key specialties within the Trust that have great academic potential (such as neurosciences and trauma), with development of academic investment plans
- To implement a ‘consent for approach’ system to encourage patient sign-up for future research at first clinical interaction in the Trust
- To expand the digital interface for research and innovation within the Trust, to facilitate access to our unique data set so that it can be utilised to deliver “real world” research, innovation and improvement science
- To increase external partnerships, and develop systems that enable findings from projects to be translated at pace and scale in each place and closer to home with resulting income generation and ultimate benefits to patient care
- To encourage more clinical teams to develop bio-collections (samples and data) and to have greater academic interaction with local higher education institutions and industry
- To provide a springboard for nurses, midwives, Allied Health Professionals, Pharmacists and Healthcare Scientists to gain confidence and the necessary skills to ultimately become the next generation of research leaders through the Centre for Clinical and Care Research
- To be at the cutting edge of early phase trial delivery within key clinical specialities
R&I Managing Director Professor Steve Woby said: “We are keen to further develop our research infrastructure and encourage wider participation of our staff and patients in research, innovation and health improvement activities with the ultimate aim of always providing the highest quality of care to our service users and developing a vibrant workforce which is enthusiastic and ‘on message’ with the need to continually improve.
“Building on our current expertise, we are in a strong position to be an international leader of research, innovation and health improvement across key specialist services.
“But we are focused on local needs too and this includes making sure our research activities are highly inclusive and reflect diversity among users and staff. We aim to deliver an increased number of research and innovation activities closer to home and reduce health inequalities and unwanted variation in care and outcomes.”
You can read the strategy on our About us page.