What is Research Research can be defined as the attempt to derive

							What is Research?                                     For more information on audit or clinical               Your Responsibilities
                                                      governance please contact Malcolm Bowcock on
                                                      0121 623 6944 or email                                  All researchers must:
Research can be defined as the attempt to derive      Malcolm.bowcock@bwhct.nhs.uk                            Consider the Health and Safety Act
generalisable new knowledge by addressing
clearly defined questions with systematic and         What is Research Governance?                            Ensure they have received Ethics and Trust
rigorous methods.                                                                                                   approval
                                                      All research in the NHS must be undertaken in
                                                      accordance with the Department of Health’s
                                                                                                              Keep the original signed consent form and
                                                      Research Governance Framework for Health and
Research vs Audit                                                                                                   information sheet secure
                                                      Social Care (2005).
Research is answering questions to get new                                                                    Anonymise patient data where possible and
                                                      The framework consists of a list of standards for
knowledge whereas auditing is benchmarking care                                                                    hold it in accordance with the Data
                                                      conducting and hosting research on NHS patient,
against best practice.                                                                                             Protection Act. (Consent must be
                                                      staff or clients. It aims to ensure that health and
                                                                                                                   sought before using the information for
                                                      social care research is conducted to high scientific
If you are in any doubt as to whether your                                                                         any other purpose)
                                                      and ethical standards that protect the dignity,
proposal is a research or audit project, please
                                                      rights, safety and wellbeing of its participants.
contact the R&D Office.                                                                                       Seek consent prior to recruitment if the patient
                                                                                                                    is under the care of another health care
                                                      Trusts have a responsibility to ensure that research
                                                                                                                    professional
                                                      governance is applied to all research for which it is
                                                      responsible.
Service Evaluation                                                                                            Ensure that only researchers with a contractual
                                                                                                                    relationship with the Trust hosing the
A project/piece of work which aims to review or                                                                     research make contact with patients.
evaluate current practice to improve or assess how                                                                  There are procedures in place for
well the service is working.                                                                                        issuing honourary contracts

No new hypothesis is being tested. No new                                                                     Report all cases of adverse events or suspected
generalisable knowledge is produced. Only             What it means for you                                         misconduct to the R&D Office and
applicable to service in which it is being                                                                          Ethics committee
undertaken.                                           All research that involves Trust
                                                      patients, premises or staff must be                     Involve consumers in the research process
                                                      reviewed by an NHS research ethics                             where possible
What to do if doing a service evaluation?             committee.
                                                                                                              Consider client diversity

Service evaluation should be registered with the                                                              Keep participants up-to-date on the progress of
Trust R&D office and a report of all results should   This provides Ethical approval only;
                                                                                                                    the research and provide feedback at
be forwarded when complete.                           ethics committees DO NOT have the
                                                                                                                    the end of the study
                                                      power to give permission to
                                                                                                              Supply an annual report to the REC and copy
                                                      researchers to undertake research in
                                                                                                                    this to the R&D Office.
                                                      the NHS. Permission can only come
Contact details for Audit                                                                                     Disseminate findings
                                                      from the NHS organisation hosting
                                                      the research by following the R&D
   What is Audit?                                     approval process.

 Audit projects measure how well a service or
 aspect of service meets clinical national/rec
 guidance. There must be a set of standard
 accepted guidance against which to measure
 current practice