CRN WM Awards 2023 - Citations

Award Citations for the CRN WM Awards 2023

Collaboration in Research

This Award recognises collaborations which have benefited the delivery of studies across systems in the region and beyond.

The Winner is: Sandwell and West Birmingham Alcohol Care Team and the University of South Wales Addictions Research Group

Citation: The outputs from this eight month collaboration are phenomenal in such a short space of time. All members of the team have truly invested in developing and nurturing the relationships with key stakeholders and one another to maximise the outputs and increase evidence available for these service users and providers.

Highly Commended: Ruth Lambley-Burke, Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, for her tireless work in promoting a system-wide approach to research.

Also Highly Commended in this category:

Julie Edwards and Governance Teams, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust & Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for working together to overcome barriers to a commercial study.

Innovation of the Year

This Award goes to an individual or team which has implemented innovations in design, delivery or engagement in research, including use of digital technology.

The Winner is: The Research Team at West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust & University of Warwick

Citation: The system allowed fully remote consents via an online platform and web link to the research participant, without needing any additional software – simply a smartphone or computer with internet access. This was the Trust’s first interventional study using an electronic consent system, but it was so beneficial that they are fully electronic for all subsequent studies, even following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.

Highly Commended: DaRe2THINK Team - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham - for their use of multiple digital innovations to recruit and consent patients.

Also Highly Commended in the Innovation Category - R&D Data & Digital Delivery Team, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire who have transformed data management, analytics and performance across the Trust by creating an interactive digital suite.

Patient & Public Involvement and Engagement Award

This Award goes to an individual or team who have shown outstanding commitment to involving patients or the public in research design and delivery. For example, a member of the research team, a patient representative/patient ambassador who has really made a difference.

The Winner is: The STANDING TOGETHER Team, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Citation: The STANDING Together project team emphasises amplifying the voices of minority populations and incorporating their insights into their research. This commitment to inclusivity and diversity is woven into every aspect of the project, from its inception to dissemination. In partnership with two patient co-investigators, the project was developed with Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) as a fundamental pillar of the programme.

Highly Commended:

Jane Sausman, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, who has been instrumental in the successful completion of the REPLICA study and subsequent dissemination of its findings.

Research Contribution of the Year

This Award goes to anyone from a medical or non-medical discipline who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to research in any evidenced way.

Winner: Cardiology Research Team, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

Citation: This team is providing an environment where research, innovation and the adoption of new technology flourish: supporting staff to identify challenges to the delivery of high-quality care, then working with them to seek and implement solutions. 

Within Cardiology, research is interwoven into clinical practice, encouraging other staff to become involved in some way. The benefits from the commercial studies they attract, brings important new treatments and treatment saving costs into the NHS.

Highly Commended: Neurology Research Team, Kelly Westwood and Harriet Cummins, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire for their efforts to increase the Neurology research portfolio and recruitment.

Industry Award

This Award is for the Team or Individual who has shown a significant contribution to the improvement of set-up and delivery of industry studies, but also a demonstrable increase in capability and capacity to deliver life sciences industry research.

The Winner is: The Oncology Research Team, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Citation from the study’s commercial sponsor:

I am pleased to wholeheartedly endorse the efforts of the dedicated research team at the Trust who have played an instrumental role in the ongoing success of the ANG-010 INFORM study. Their dedication to patient recruitment, engagement, and retention has been pivotal in achieving the milestones of our study.

We are very thankful for the whole team’s hard work and dedication to ensure that the study was set-up up quickly and efficiently across the Trust, and for achieving the recruitment milestones on schedule, with the three hospitals involved making a large contribution.

Highly Commended:

R&D Team, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for building relationships with sponsors.leading to the highest ever number of commercial studies at the Trust.

Embedding Research Award

This Award goes to individuals or teams who can demonstrate how they have contributed to embedding a research culture in their organisation.

The Winner in this category is: East Staffordshire Primary Care Network

Citation: East Staffordshire PCN has appointed a Research Manager to enable efficient regional level participant identification for research, and to set up research structures and frameworks within the PCN. She works closely with the CRN to lead and manage the successful delivery of research studies across the entire Primary Care Network – comprising 18 GP practices, which serves a total population of more than 150,000. Communication, teamwork, use of technologies, enthusiasm, engagement, and collaboration are the key words to describe how the PCN has got to where it is.

Highly Commended: Alice Madden Herefordshire & Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust for her work on developing the research workforce and building a research culture at the Trust.

Also Highly Commended in the Embedding Research category: Centre for Care Excellence, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, recognised for the introduction of a clinical academic partnership model, enhancing patient care.

Access to Research Award

This award is for any individual or team who can show that they have been able to increase opportunities to participate in research for their service users and staff.

Our Winner is: Charlotte Ferris & Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Cancer Research Team, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Citation: Charlotte Ferris and the Heartlands cancer research team have worked effectively to create equity of access to cancer trials for patients across the region. Engagement was through liaison with thoracic surgeons and lung oncologists at UHB to design the cancer trial map, to decide how this will work and how it can be delivered through MDT. A final version of the process map has been produced, following feedback from key stakeholders, along with a lung cancer leaflet which is now approved within UHB. Charlotte has also been working with the UHB Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse on distribution of the leaflet.

Highly Commended in this category: Ryeland Surgery, Leominster for their work in proactive recruitment, research training and bringing research opportunities to the people of Leominster.

Also Highly Commended: Research Delivery Team Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust for highly successful community outreach recruitment to an RSV study.

Training & Development Award

This Award recognises support for the training and development of research staff at all levels.

The Winner is: Johanne Tomlinson, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust.

Citation: The research champion initiative at the Trust has gone from strength to strength under Johanne’s guidance and leadership. By being a culture carrier for research through all her interactions across the Trust and developing structure and support for the research champion role, she has been able to grow and embed the scheme beyond all expectations. Formalising the role and being a visible leader has meant that the champions feel confident in bringing research into their services and to their populations. The enthusiasm and imagination she has brought to structuring the scheme and promoting it; plus the not to be underestimated work in supporting the champions has ensured its success.

Highly Commended: The Interdisciplinary Clinical Academic Health Research Excellence (iCAhRE) Team, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire for its research training programme to support Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions and Clinical Health Scientists in their clinical academic and research careers to develop impactful research and innovation.

Two Special Awards nominated by the Network, the first of which is

Shining Research Star

This award has been selected by the judges from all the entries, as a stand out initiative which best reflects the aims and objectives of the Network.

The Winner is: The Staffordshire and Shropshire Health and Care Research Partnership (or SSHERPa for short)

Citation: SSHERPa is a strategic partnership whose aim is to enhance the opportunities for collaborative research in our region and to support the embedding of research within the changing health and care landscape.

With executive leadership from Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, supported through CRN WM Improvement and Innovation funding, SSHERPa drew together 17 partner organisations, forming ICS Research and Innovation Committees for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Among its many achievements, SSHERPa has:

Co-produced a questionnaire survey, examining the appetite for collaboration across the research cycle
Commissioned and published a qualitative research study exploring the barriers/facilitators for research collaboration across the ICS
Secured over £400,000 additional funding for collaborative research since September 2022
Delivered two large NHS England programmes (November 2022-March 2023) showcasing our region’s ability to deliver to time and target

Dr Nick White – Chief Medical Officer, NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin said: “It’s been wonderful to see how our voluntary and community sector partners have benefitted from the funding that SSHERPa has secured, widening research engagement to those communities who have been under-represented in research.”

Special award for Outstanding Support for Research

This goes to someone who has championed research in our region as Host of the CRN West Midlands since 2014 and for a long time prior to that.

The Winner is Professor David Loughton, CBE, Group Chief Executive of our Host Trust.

Everyone at the Network is grateful to him for his dedication to research over the past 10 years and we have been privileged to work for the Trust under his leadership.

As he approaches the well deserved milestone of retirement, we are confident he shares our pride in everything we have achieved together. He will be greatly missed but the legacy he leaves behind will support us as we explore new horizons.