Please see below for some of the latest updates within the R&I department.
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Dear All,
Please see the invite below to the Associate Principal Investigator Scheme Virtual Educational Event. Registration is open.
We would be grateful if you could please share the information below with your colleagues who may be interested in attending the above event. Please see further details via the link below:
Associate-principal-investigator-scheme-virtual-launch-event/28720
What is the Associate PI Scheme?
The NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (PI) Scheme links healthcare professionals who are not involved in research with a study PI at the same site for a period of 6 months.
A set of tasks relating to study management at site (SHIFT) is completed and the Associate PI is awarded a certificate on completion of the scheme for their training portfolio.
The aims of the scheme are:
- To make research a routine part of clinical training.
- To develop doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to be the PIs of the future.
- To recognise and promote doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals engagement in NIHR portfolio research in a consistent manner.
What to expect on the day
- Information about the history of the Associate PI Scheme.
- An overview of the Associate PI Scheme - Where we are now, and where we are heading.
- The opportunity to hear from various perspectives - CTUs, Royal Colleges, Chief Investigators (CIs), Principal Investigators (PIs), and Alumni of the Associate PI Scheme.
- To better understand the potential benefits of the Associate PI Scheme.
- Guidance on how you can participate in the Associate PI Scheme.
- The opportunity to ask questions about the Scheme.
The event is open to everyone who wishes to learn more about the Scheme and how to get involved. Therefore it would be great to have representation across specialities.
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is part of the national effort to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.
Whilst those efforts continue, the time is now right to work towards the restoration of a diverse and active portfolio of research.
To help initiate this process, the NIHR has developed a ‘Framework for restart’, a guidance document to support local decision-making.
As part of the framework, research active Trusts should provide clear guidance on safety issues and measures for participants and staff. This includes strict infection prevention control measures, such as reducing site traffic, maintaining social distancing, facility decontamination and screening. Southern Health has prepared the following guidance documents to help facilitate a safe resumption of clinical research:
‘Clinical Research COVID-19 Pandemic – Workplace guidance for staff’
‘Clinical Research COVID-19 Pandemic – Guidance for Resuming Clinic Visits’
This guidance will be followed in accordance with Good Clinical Practice guidelines, NIHR guidance, and UK Government guidance regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. At all times, the protocol and the guidance issued by the sponsor related to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take precedence over internal site guidance provided the safety of the participant is protected.
Please contact research@southernhealth.nhs.uk if you have any concerns or queries about individual studies or this R&D policy. We welcome suggestions as to how we can make the restart process as quick and effective as possible.
Read the paper here.
Abstract: Emerging evidence has indicated a negative and disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. Previous studies have already reported that biological and social risk factors increase disease susceptibility, particularly in BAME communities. Despite frontline workers in ethnic minority communities in the United Kingdom's National Health Service attempting to quell the pandemic, disproportionate numbers of BAME physicians and other health care workers have died of COVID-19. This unprecedented situation highlights ethical and moral implications, which could further augment the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. While the government attempts to mitigate the rate of virus transmission, certain key factors inadvertently augment the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health and general well-being of BAME communities. This study examined the available literature to explore the association between, and the wider impact of, COVID-19 on BAME communities. Furthermore, this study aims to raise awareness and provide a deeper insight into current scientific discussions.
doi: 10.2196/22581
We've recently had a paper published on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental wellbeing of healthcare staff. You can find this here.
Abstract: Pandemics are challenging times for society but even more for healthcare professionals who are supporting severe and critically ill patients with the infection as well as others that are already accessing treatments for ongoing medical problems. Hence, the mounting pressure inevitably would impact the psychological wellbeing of staff, especially frontline professionals. Whilst the dedication and commitment shown by our healthcare workers are beyond admirable, the need for their safety and right to access psychological support should be a priority for their respective employers and the government. Pandemics are trialing times for all, however, healthcare professionals' wellbeing should be a primary focus to ensure better support is available in the future.
The content of grandiose delusions—inaccurate beliefs that one has special powers, wealth, mission, or identity—is likely to be highly meaningful. The meaning, for example providing a sense of purpose, could prove to be a key factor in the delusion taking hold. We aimed to empirically define and develop measures of the experience of meaning in grandiose delusions and the sources of this meaning, and to test whether the severity of grandiosity in clinical and non-clinical populations is associated with a level of meaning
Our involvement as a participating site was to collect relevant data to carry out the analysis. This paper may be of particular interest to participants who took part or staff who supported the study. The full article can be found here
Latest Funding Opportunities
Current funding calls can be found here
Work for Us
We have a unique opportunity currently for nurses to join our team as well as staying in their current clinical role!
We have a range of flexible options in order for you to have the best of both worlds. Although we are mainly looking for RMN we are also open to expressions of interests from other HCP's for future opportunities and vaccine research hub work.
We would love to discuss this more with you so please get in touch with R&D manager, Dr Peter Phiri.
Email: peter.phiri@southernhealth.nhs.uk
Mobile: 07414560606