Championing clinical research as an integral part of the service

Over the past 10 years I have established a cardiovascular clinical research team within Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, heightening national and international awareness of our cardiology clinical activity through the Thames Valley and South Midlands network. My post commenced as a part-funded National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) cardiology clinical research nurse and currently within my role I lead three services, integrating cardiac clinical research throughout the division.

This has involved the introduction of more than 60 cardiovascular clinical trials. We are often contacted by other centres to share best practice in recognition of our being the highest recruiting centre for several studies in the UK. Our division has been successful at implementing a cardiovascular clinical research team within a district general hospital using NIHR and commercial income, building on our profile locally and nationally (British Association for Nursing in Cardiovascular Care, 2017).

In 2014 and 2017, I was involved in setting up and writing the ethics outline for the Health Research Authority, gaining approval for two large NIHR portfolio adopted, commercial clinical trials. The trials recruited large cohorts of patients, which were in excess of 1000 participants. After some collaboration and negotiation, our local research and innovation department transferred responsibility and management of the cardiac clinical trial budget to our cardiovascular division.