The Royal United Hospital in Bath has launched a new research strategy, aimed at supporting and developing studies to address the needs of the local community.
Photo © RUH Bath
The strategy would see greater collaboration with local organisations and ensure that studies are accessible to all patients within the hospital trust.
The RUH runs approximately 200 active studies at any one time, recruiting 3,000 patients into research projects annually.
Richard Graham, Director of Research and Innovation at the RUH, said: “Hospitals that actively engage in research deliver better care to their patients and have better staff recruitment and retention, which is why we are fully committed to ensuring research is at the heart of what the RUH does.
“The RUH has an excellent reputation nationally for conducting research that will help the NHS to better support its patients of the future.
“This new strategy not only sets out our commitment to research at the RUH and to the people we care for and the people we work with but, crucially, the people in our community.
“We want to make sure that we are able to engage even more patients, carers and members of the local community in our research by facilitating the type of research studies that address local health concerns.”
Commitments made in the strategy include:
- Develop and implement systems to ensure that research studies are accessible to all patients, regardless of location, demographics or characteristics.
- Implementing referral systems and pathways that seamlessly connect patients to appropriate research studies.
- Collaborate with community organisations and patient advocacy groups to identify barriers to accessing research opportunities and develop targeted interventions for those patients underserved by research.
- Provide ongoing training and mentorship programs to support the continuous development of research skills and knowledge among the workforce.
- Develop and signpost to career pathways, secondment schemes and shared posts that support all staff to engage in research activities.
