Research for all roadmap

2016

The RCP publishes Research for all. Following a UK survey, the report explores the current barriers to doctors’ engagement in medical research and finds:

• 2 out of 3 doctors surveyed would like to do more research
• time, skills and NHS trust culture are the three key barriers
• exposure to research early in medical training is essential as well as flexible entry into research later in doctors’ careers.

These findings support the RCP to further enhance the UK’s world-class research culture.

2017

The RCP looks at ways to enable clinicians to spend more time on research and

• creates a research engagement toolkit
• begins discussions around establishing a clinician researcher credential
• publishes work with the NHS R&D Forum on how to better support working between doctors and R&D departments.

2018

The RCP steps up its influencing efforts, and former academic vice president (AVP) Professor Margaret Johnson publishes a blog in the BMJ on Strengthening research in the NHS.

Professor Cheng-Hock Toh is elected as the new AVP and commits to tackling the three main barriers to doctors doing more research:

• time
• skills
• NHS trust culture

2019

The RCP launches Delivering research for all: expectations and aspirations for the NHS in England, a statement calling for every clinician to be research active because of evidence that research-active NHS trusts have better patient outcomes. It’s promoted with blogs, vlogs and an article in the BMJ. It also receives support from Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer at the time, and is endorsed by:

• NIHR
• AMS
• all medical royal colleges with members in secondary care

The RCP engages in other research-promoting activities:

• Time for research, Wales
• Supporting and developing the NIHR CRN initiative, associate PI scheme
• The AVP joins Joint Government and Industry Clinical Research Working Group
• The AVP’s call for equitable research access is published in the Lancet as well as blogs, videos and podcasts with the NIHR:

‘It’s important to integrate research into routine clinical care… we’ve seen there’s a real energy from clinicians wanting to be involved in research’ – Dr Jonathan Sheffield, CEO, NIHR CRN

• Benefiting from the ‘research effect’ sets out how NHS trusts can better support clinicians to become research active, and the huge benefits this will deliver for patients, trusts and staff.

2020

The RCP carries out a Research for all survey to analyse clinical participation in research. It highlights that:

• physicians find that research improves job satisfaction
• barriers from 2016 are still apparent, especially a lack of time to do research
• there are inequalities, particularly among women physicians, those working in smaller rural hospitals and from minority ethnic backgrounds.

It recommends that we:

• investigate health inequalities and inequities of doctors’ access to research
• ensure strong commitment at NHS trust board level to support research and allocate more time in job plans
• target funding to rural areas to enable more research activity to benefit patients in those areas.

The impact of COVID-19

‘COVID-19 taught us a lot about the way we manage research in the UK—that we can change cumbersome systems, be more fleet of foot, collaborate more and increase inclusivity—harnessing these improvements will be COVID-19’s valuable legacy to our thriving UK research sector – it will be better for patients, better for clinicians and better for the nation.’ – William van’t Hoff, CEO, NIHR CRN

The associate PI scheme for the RECOVERY trial launches.

The RCP plays a key national role in promoting urgent public health research and supporting clinical academics:

• providing guidance to clinical academics transitioning between urgent care and research
• AVP joins Advisory Group for DHSC Clinical Research Recovery, Resilience and Growth (RRG) Programme
• The research tab on RCP Player launches in collaboration with NIHR to promote COVID-19 research

August 2020

RCP research strategy to develop, deliver and drive research in the NHS is published. It seeks to address the barriers to equality of access and provides a focus for operational planning

Its vision is for every clinician to be supported to become research active for the benefit of patients and the public.

Its mission is to strive to engage more physicians in research that improves health and care as well as their wellbeing.

Its aims are:

• to develop and support the workforce to become research active and innovative
• to deliver a system that enables physicians to do research as part of improving care
• to drive new collaborative ways for physicians to accelerate research for patient and public benefit.

October 2020

With the NIHR and NHS R&D Forum, the RCP establishes the CARE group to better coordinate approaches among stakeholder organisations to ensure research is embedded into clinical care. The group helps shape the focus on research in CQC’s 2021 strategy and will support the implementation of the government’s vision for research.

November 2020

The RCP research and innovation hub launches on the RCP website, providing resources and information to help members become more research active. The hub supports engagement with fellows, members and stakeholders and enhances RCP work.

Visitors can learn how to develop research skills and find out about the work the RCP is doing to deliver research in the NHS and to drive collaboration.

2021

The impact of COVID-19 influences the action taken around research:

• The RCP’s annual conference, Medicine 2021, explores research as a social leveller
• UK government publishes Saving and improving lives: the future of UK clinical research delivery with priorities encompassing calls made by the RCP to mbed research in the NHS
• DHSC confirms funding for clinician researcher credential, managed by NIHR and RCP on behalf of AoMRC
• CQC strategy recognises the importance of research activity, following representations by RCP and other organisations

Research for all summit in July 2021

A roundtable discussion with key partners from:

• NIHR
• DHSC
• GMC
• NHS England
• UKRD

Attendees:

• focussed on ‘Embedding clinical research in the NHS’ – one of the five themes in the vision for clinical researc
• considered the lessons learned from the pandemic
• discussed how the steps in government’s vision for research could be implemented
• identified other practical steps to further embed clinical research in the NHS

August 2021

Professor Ramesh Arasaradnam is elected as the new AVP and begins his 3-year tenure to continue Research for all.