NHS Northamptonshire

http://www.northamptonshire.nhs.uk/

Key individuals

Prof. Stephen Horsley, Director of Public Health
Dr Stephen Rogers, Consultant in Public Health and CLAHRC Implementation Deputy Theme Lead
Sue Palmer Hill, Research and Development Manager
Holly Hamer - CLAHRC Coordinator

Other R&D team members

Stephen Zingwe, PCRN Research Development Officer
Xi Li, Research Associate
Kirti Vaghela, Research Training Officer
Justine Hill, Clinical Research Nurse
Research Governance Officer - Vacant
Ulrika Winstone, Research Finance & Administration Officer

Research Structures
The Public Health Research Strategy sets out the vision that is to achieve the healthiest county in the country, to improve the health and wellbeing of our local population and to reduce the health inequalities that exist across the county through translating evidence into practice, carrying out best public health research and delivering a comprehensive research portfolio sensitive to the needs and priority areas of the NHS and of the local population.

If the nation’s health is to be improved and inequalities reduced, the capacity of R&D to contribute to these aims must be exploited to the full. The strategy is compatible with national priorities and Delivering the Future – Our 5 year Strategy one year on, it is focusing on the needs of our local population through putting people at the centre of a research system, it is also focusing on quality, transparency and value for money. In Northamptonshire, the public health directorate has committed itself to a wide-ranging programme of action to improve the health of the local population and reduce the health inequalities that exist across the county through using research evidence and new generalisable knowledge. These need to be informed by appropriate research, which recognises the many potential influences, even if indirect, on public health and well-being. The main research areas should focus on the public health priority, particularly Staying Healthy.

The strategy also describes the aims, which are to:

increase research awareness and promote research activity through translating research ideas into research questions, and then planning and delivering research projects
support a research-led culture for health in NHS Northamptonshire to ensure researchers and healthcare professionals working in a supportive environment and evidence-based NHS
develop the research skills of the future leaders in public health research through identifying training needs and opportunities, providing advice for those involved with research activity, along with those with the potential to be involved and delivering the research needs
promote collaborative working with our Public Health Registrars to build and support a skilled workforce capacity
contribute to commissioning for quality, which applies the principles of QIPPS to the process of pathway redesign, through using research evidence, delivering high quality research and promoting innovation
contribute to the development of evidence of World Class Commissioning competency
conduct leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public

The following actions will be undertaken to achieve the vision and the aims:

Agreeing the vision and the aims of the Public Health Research Strategy
Identifying baseline information
Prioritising research studies within the research categories described above, this should be along the lines of Delivering the Future - our 5 year strategy one year one, particularly public health priorities
Agreeing priorities for research
Prioritising research studies
Planning, facilitating and conducting research relevant to public health priorities
Strengthen and streamline systems for research management through linking with RM&G
Developing and supporting a skilled workforce capacity
Supporting and leading on research process

The implementation of the actions will be monitored and evaluated regularly, using clearly articulated and broadly accepted performance measures, and the necessary action will be taken to ensure that we are on track to achieve our actions, and report to our stakeholders openly and transparently.

Research Activity
CLAHRC studies that are taking place within the trust:

News
For news from NHS Northamptonshire please visit the Trusts news pages.