At Thaxted Surgery we are actively engaged in Research. This keeps us up to date with new and emerging thinking, and sometimes allows us to offer treatments that otherwise might not be available. We only involve individual patients in research after a careful process to ensure the individual fully understands the implications and gives informed consent.

We work in partnership with The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which is the research arm of the NHS. It's role is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The Primary Care Research Network (PCRN) helps GP's and community services to be involved in research.

We are currently working with Barts Health NHS Trust in forming an Uttlesford Research Hub and Spoke Model in our area. We are negotiating with Newport surgery to join our Hub, and hope to grow even further in the future.

"Patients are at the centre of our work. We ensure that the research we support is relevant to and benefit those who use primary care services by involving patients and the public at all stages of the research process."

From NIHR website.

Some of the studies we have participated in at Thaxted Surgery are:

Rapsid, Diabetes Help and Dare (Diabetes), Clarify (Heart Disease), Perform (Depressive Disorders), 3C and Target (Cough studies), and DPIM (Bipolar disorders) and Internet Doctor (On-line assessment and advise regarding respiratory tract infections), Pathway (Hypertension), Living with Breathlessness (COPD), PMR (Polymyalgia Rheumatica), AFFIRM (asthma), Barack D (Chronic Kidney Disease), TIME (Hypertension), Rhinitis, Late onset Depression, HELP Diabetes, HEAT (H Pylori), FAST (asthma), AFFIRM (asthma), NSRS (Feno),  ELIOT, CLASP (Parkinsons), TAMSIN, SPRINT and RIVER.

To find out more about research:

• Research slideshow
• PCRN website: crncc.nihr.ac.uk/about_us/pcrn/primary_care_patients/pc_participation.htm
• Get in touch with INVOLVE, a national group supporting public involvement in research: invo.org.uk/
• People in Research. This site has a searchable database of involvement opportunities: peopleinresearch.org/
• For more general information on patient participation at practice level, please look at napp.org.uk