Research Matters
News from across NHS Research Scotland (NRS)
Issue 1 | October 2015
Delivering Research Excellence
New Research Strategy for Scotland
Launching in October...page 4
Strengthening our Infrastructure
To support performance...page 6
A new look for NRS
Launch of new website….page 8
Much more inside...
NHS Research Scotland
www.nrs.org.uk
Welcome...
Scotland has a long and rich history of medical
research. There are many examples: Scots
made two of the world’s most important drug
discoveries of the second half of the 20th
century– salbutamol to relieve asthma attacks
and beta blockers used to treat heart
conditions. John R MacLeod, who played a key
role in the discovery of insulin was Scottish, as
was Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of
Penicilin.
The world’s first artificial vaccine against
hepatitis B infection was also developed in
Edinburgh, saving countless lives worldwide.
Ultrasound scanning was developed in
Glasgow in the 1950’s and scientists in
Aberdeen pioneered MRI scanning in 1980.
These revolutionary diagnostic tools are now in
everyday use across the NHS.
This is important…
It demonstrates a proud history of medical
research and a reminder of why we do clinical
research. However, we understand that
healthcare is constantly evolving, global
competition in health and life sciences
research is intense, and driving efficiency in
both performance and use of resources is
fundamental.
Developing better treatments and a better
understanding of diseases underpins the
development of better healthcare and we must
ensure NHS Scotland provides the best
environment to support clinical research.
To support this a strong research
infrastructure has been developed in Scotland,
supporting and increasing the level of high
quality research conducted and boosting
collaborative partnerships.
Investment by the Chief Scientist Office of the
Scottish Government has supported the
development of the NHS R&D offices in NHS
Boards across the country, established
specialised Research Networks, and supported
NHS Research Scotland
dedicated Clinical Research Facilities,
Biorepositories and Data Safe Havens.
Work has been ongoing to draw all of this
activity more closely together within NHS
Research Scotland (NRS) and this first edition
of Research Matters demonstrates progress
across the whole system and improvements in
our infrastructures, systems and processes.
Whilst structures are important, the quality of
our researchers remains one of our key
strengths and we hope as many of you as
possible have signed up for our annual NRS
conference (Page 3) - a testament to the
thriving research community in Scotland.
In this collaborative environment, we are also
cheered by the words of Professor Chris
Packard, former R&D Director of NHS Greater
Glasgow and Clyde (Page 9), as he reflects on
his NHS research journey and discusses the
real improvements he has seen over his career.
We hope you find value in this first issue of
Research Matters and encourage you to
send articles for future editions to help us
celebrate achievements, share news and
information across the research community in
Scotland and demonstrate one of our key
strengths - collaboration.
NHS Research Scotland Strategy Board
Mr Mike Stevens (Chair)
Head of Chief Scientist Office
Professor Jill Belch
R&D Director, NHS Tayside
Professor Julie Brittenden
R&D Director, NHS Grampian
Professor Dave Newby
R&D Director, NHS Lothian
Dr Roma Armstrong
Acting R&D Director , NHS Greater Glasgow &
Clyde
1
In this edition:

The 2015 NHS Research Scotland conference will be held on Wednesday 28 October at a brand
new venue. Read more about plans for the event on Page 3

Scotland’s new Health and Social Care Research Strategy will launch on Wednesday 28 October
– read more on Page 4

Scotland’s research facilities have been boosted with the opening of the flagship Queen
Elizabeth Teaching and Learning Centre in Glasgow, and dedicated Clinical Research Facility in
NHS Fife – read more on Page 4

Professor Andrew Morris outlines the six guiding principles to help maintain Scotland’s
position at the forefront of health research internationally - read more on Page 5

Appointments of new NRS Research Champions in Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal and
Reproductive Health have been made, together with new clinical leads for research in several
other specialties – read more on Page 6

Appointment of regional Performance Managers who will help monitor the delivery of research
have been recruited - read more on Page 6

Allocation of funding for research is being reviewed to promote transparency, equity and to
open up opportunities for staff who wish to get involved in research – read more on Page 7

A new NHS Research Scotland website will launch in October. Read more about the
development of the NRS brand and future plans on Page 8

Professor Chris Packard reflects on his time as R&D Director for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
on Page 9

More than 80,000 Scots have joined the SHARE research register– read more on Page 10

A new NRS Central Management Team has been set up to help support and co-ordinate NRS
activities across the country- read more on Page 11
Research Matters
We hope you find the first issue valuable. The publication will continue to evolve and we encourage
the research community in Scotland to get involved and use it as a channel to highlight positive
clinical research work.
Research Matters will be published quarterly and provide the opportunity for more in-depth features
and articles. A monthly e-bulletin will supplement this providing regular communication direct to
your inbox. Your feedback and contributions are essential in shaping future editions - see page 12
for ideas of how you can get involved.
Our new NRS website will also have a stronger news and events function and integrated social media
presence - please use these channels to help co-ordinate and promote research activity in Scotland.
www.nrs.org.uk
2
NHS Research Scotland
Annual Conference
28 October 2015
The NHS Research Scotland conference is back for
2015 showcasing the best examples of clinical
research across Scotland.
The annual event will bring together almost 500
delegates and provide an opportunity to listen and
participate in discussion about the opportunities,
and challenges, for clinical research now and in the
future.
What’s new for 2015?

Hear from Mr. Jamie Hepburn, Minister for
Sport, Health Improvement & Mental Health

Launch of our new Health and Social Care
Research Strategy for Scotland

A range of great plenary speakers including
Professor Andrew Morris, Chief Scientist
(Health), Professor Anna Dominiczak, Regius
Professor of Medicine, University of Glasgow,
and Vice Principal and Head of College of
Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; and
Professor Iain McInnes, Professor of
Experimental Medicine (Immunology), University
of Glasgow

Brand new venue - Queen Elizabeth Teaching
and Learning Centre

Greater choice of parallel sessions including new
additions such as Research Funding , Research
Development and Support, and Strengthening
Links with Industry

A chance to see the brand new Glasgow Clinical
Research Facility with a lunchtime tour

Great range of posters across 3 categories –
Infrastructure, Experimental and Clinical, Health
and Social

Over 20 exhibitors

Go social and join the conversation
#NRSConf2015
NHS Research Scotland
Stay up to date:
Website: www.nrsconference.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Twitter:
@NHSResearchScot
#NRSConf15
3
Research in Scotland - new Strategy launch
Scotland’s new Health and Social Care Research Strategy will launch at the upcoming NRS Annual
Conference on Wednesday 28 October. The Strategy will provide the underpinning framework to
support health research in Scotland over the next five years, setting out ambitions, areas critical to
success and proposals to support Scotland’s vision as a global destination of choice for life sciences.
Consultation on a draft Strategy in 2014 generated over 70 responses from the research community in
Scotland and across the UK.
Mike Stevens, Head of Chief Scientist Office said:
“Much has been achieved since publication of the last health
research strategy in 2009. We have a lot to be proud of but the
research landscape moves quickly and Stratified Medicine and
Informatics are widely seen as the new areas where we must
compete to be globally competitive.
“The new Strategy provides the future vision and we have welcomed the comments of the research community in shaping
this future. It ensures we are well structured to manage
challenges, deploy resources effectively and push Scotland’s
position at the forefront of health research internationally.”
The new strategy will be available online from
Wednesday 28 October 2015.
Investing in Infrastructure
Dedicated clinical research facilities (CRF’s) are
crucial in supporting delivery of research in
Scotland so we are delighted at the opening of
two brand new facilities in Glasgow and Fife.
The new £5m Clinical Research Facility at Queen
Elizabeth University Hospital Campus helps
ensure clinical trials of new medicines is a
cornerstone of the new hospital development.
The new hospital and research complex gives
Glasgow, Scotland and the wider United
Kingdom one of the most modern and
best-equipped centres for treatment, medical
research and teaching.
A brand new Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at NHS
Fife makes it the sixth health board to open an
on-site CRF. The facility takes research out of
clinical areas and moves it into dedicated space,
reducing the potential for research and clinical
work to compete for the same resources as
activity increases. It provides the space,
www.nrs.org.uk
equipment and staff to deliver high-quality
research and brings opportunities to collaborate
with scientists and biotech companies to develop
therapies and treatments to benefit patients
across Fife.
“This new facility is yet
another step forward for
clinical research in Fife and
will play a key role in
improving treatments,
delivering significant
benefits for patients across
the region in years to come.”
Dr Amanda Wood, R&D Manager, NHS Fife
4
Our Six Guiding Principles...
“to help maintain Scotland’s position
at the forefront of health research
internationally “
Professor Andrew Morris
Chief Scientist
The vision of CSO is to support and increase the
level of high quality health research conducted
in Scotland for the health and financial benefit of
our population, so that Scotland is recognised
globally as a “come to place” for health
science. Recent UKCRC data suggest we attract
11.8% of the UK’s research funding for only
8.4% of the population, 40% above the UK’s per
capita average. The Quality Strategy and more
recently the 2020 Vision Route Map set out our
vision and proposed actions to deliver
sustainable high quality health and social care
services in Scotland.
Research has a key role to play in supporting the
delivery of that vision, and there is an
outstanding opportunity to add value to other
cutting edge initiatives including the Innovation
Centres in Digital Health, Censors and Stratified
Medicine, the Farr Institute and the Scotlandwide Administrative Data Research Centre.
Looking forward in this context, we have
identified six guiding principles that we believe
will help maintain Scotland’s position at the
forefront of health research internationally:
1. Build on the strong science infrastructure
that exists across our Universities in
Scotland.
3. Exploit our ability to link information from
health, social care and non-health sources
using data to support better treatment,
safety and research.
4. De-clutter the pathway for the regulation and
governance of health research by taking a
proportionate and streamlined approach to
research governance.
5. Deliver collaborative arrangements with the
biotechnology, pharmaceutical, informatics
and medical devices industries.
6. Position Scotland as a single research site
when it makes good sense to do so.
“I very much appreciate the
commitment and support of
the research community in delivering the progress we have
made to date, and look forward to working with you to
deliver these ambitious but
achievable aims.”
2. Deliver collaborative partnerships with a
tripartite mission of research, education and
delivery of quality health care and public
health improvement.
NHS Research Scotland
5
NRS Delivery Support
Improving our infrastructure
Network changes
Recent years have seen some major changes to the way that the NRS Topic Network and Speciality Groups
are structured. The remit of the Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network was expanded to cover the
broader range of Neurodegenerative Disorders including Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease,
Huntingdon’s Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. Dr Peter Connelly , based at NHS Tayside was recently
appointed as the new Research Champion for the Network.
National Research Champions
A rolling programme of appointments for NRS
Research Champions and Specialty Clinical Leads
started in 2014, and continues until 2016.
Champions are usually NHS consultants who have
a strategic and developmental national remit,
combined with a recruitment and delivery
oversight role for their clinical area. In addition to
Dr Peter Connelly, other recent appointments are:
New network areas
Three new Champions for the new network areas of
Cardiovascular Disease, Reproductive Health and
Musculoskeletal Disorders have been appointed by
CSO :



Professor Keith Oldroyd,
Cardiovascular
based at Golden Jubilee Hospital, Clydebank
Professor Stuart Ralston
Musculoskeletal
based at Western Infirmary, Edinburgh

Professor Stephen Lawrie
Mental Health Champion
based at University of Edinburgh

Professor David Cameron
Cancer Clinical Research Champion
based at University of Edinburgh

Professor Bruce Guthrie
Primary Care Research Champion
based at University of Dundee
“Performance Managers
provide specialist research
support in Scotland across
13 Specialty Groups”

Sarah Auld, based in NHS Tayside
looking after Genetics, Metabolic and
Endocrine, Oral and Dental (shared with
Glasgow), Ophthalmology, Infectious
Diseases and Microbiology

Sharon Southern, based in NHS
Grampian looking after Anaesthesia
and supporting Surgery and
Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine
and Pain Management; alongside
support of Reproductive Health.

Janet Gilchrist, based in Lothian
looking after Critical Care, Respiratory,
Hepatology, Dermatology,
Gastrointestinal and Age/Ageing.

Marcella Gavigan based in NHS
Greater Glasgow & Clyde looking
after Renal and Haematology
Prof Siladitya Bhattacharya
Reproductive Health
based at the University of Aberdeen
“Clinical
Research Champions
develop strategic clinical
leadership within these active
areas of research”
NHS Research Scotland
6
Funding Allocations
A new approach
“Promoting equity and fairness across NHS Scotland”
Each year CSO allocates £12.7 million of
‘Researcher Support’ money that is intended to
buy-out time for staff in the NHS to get involved
in research.
These allocations are presently made to Health
Boards on the basis of activity – taking into
account the number and type of study and
patient recruitment. Funding for this activity will
remain but NHS Boards are now being asked to
specifically set out how this funding is deployed.
Having tighter control within R&D offices over
specific spend will ensure funding allocations
are sufficiently robust to accommodate new
research initiatives.
Additionally CSO also allocates £14.9 million for
‘NRS Infrastructure’. This meets the costs of core
staff groups (e.g. research nurses, pharmacists)
who support research studies in Health Boards.
Each year the same level of funding is offered to
Boards and at present most
infrastructure funding is restricted to NHS Grampian, NHS
Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS
Tayside. However plans to move infrastructure
NHS Research Scotland
allocation onto an activity basis are being progressed, with first changes planned for implementation in 2016-17. The purpose of this is to
promote equity and fairness across NHS Scotland and look for opportunities to make funds
available to all boards.
Further information will be detailed in future
editions of this newsletter or you can speak
directly to your R&D Director for more
information.
“This will support transparency
across Scotland and open up
opportunities for staff who
wish to get involved in research.”
7
Supporting the NRS Brand
There has been a lot of work going on over the
summer to improve the NRS website, drawing in
separate sources of information to more clearly
present the work of NRS, outline the infrastructure
support within NHS Scotland and promote the
great work that takes place across the health research community. So lets take a look at what is
new.
Website - re-launching October 2015:
 The new NRS website has almost tripled in
size, and will continue to develop into the ‘go
to resource’ for health research information in
Scotland
 It brings together content from more than a
dozen affiliated websites – including all NRS
Research Network websites which will now
feature online in one place for the first time
 Navigation, presentation and functionality
have all been improved providing a fresher
look and feel, with a more modern approach
 Dedicated spaces are being created for
researchers, industry and the public
 Case studies, testimonials and key stats are
being included to bring research activity to life
and a nationwide training resource is being
incorporated
 An online industry portal is also being
developed to set out Scotland’s research
infrastructure and capability, providing a
useful tool for researchers and industry.
www.nrs.org.uk
Events:
 NRS was represented at the NHS Scotland
event in June, the Glasgow launch of the
SHARE research register, the Future of
Biomedicine Industry Day and REWARD
EQUATOR events, sharing the positive research
work across Scotland.
 Building links with Scottish Enterprise and
Scottish Development International will also
see Scotland’s research capability promoted at
upcoming international events including
BioEurope.
Publications:
 New corporate material with strengthened
branding is being produced – brochures, slide
decks and leaflets, helping to bring the work of
NRS to as wide an audience as possible.
 NRS Brand guidelines will also support a
co-ordinated identity across Scotland
8
Reflections on Research
Professor Chris Packard
Former R&D Director, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
With a research career spanning 40 years, including 10 years as NHS
Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s Director of Research and Development,
Professor Packard has been witness to the many changes in the research
landscape. Following retirement in June 2015, Professor Packard reflects
on key milestones and achievements within clinical research in Scotland.
How has research changed since you became
R&D Director?
“Back when I took on the lead for Research and
Development (R&D) in NHS Greater Glasgow &
Clyde, much was changing. The Caldicott report
had published, The National Institute for Health
Research (NIHR) was newly set up in England and it
was clear the landscape for funding and delivering
trials needed reform. Taking on the role of R&D
Director was a significant undertaking – but
growing a team from 2 staff members to over 150
in Greater Glasgow & Clyde alone is testament to
how much the research landscape has changed;
and for a country of our scale we excel in clinical
research.”
What role has research played?
“In Scotland I believe we have four key pillars to
our research activity. We have created dedicated
environments within the NRS Nodes such as our
extensive Clinical Research Facilities (CRF’s). We
have invested in cutting-edge imaging capability,
we have delivered a pragmatic and efficient
approach to tissue availability through our
Biorepositories and we are harnessing the power
of our unique health informatics to address
important issues in terms of disease prevention
and treatment. Investigators are able to plug into
each of these elements and we are fortunate in
Scotland to have a pool of world leading clinical
and academic experts as well as international
colleagues keen to tap into our rich resources.
www.nrs.org.uk
Is collaboration important?
“Whilst we can acknowledge the strong research
capability built up by NHS Research Scotland, to
fully harness its potential we need to partner,
primarily with Universities, to build and support
innovations and ensure the resources of the NHS
are brought into a state that is user friendly for
researchers. This collaborative approach is well
regarded in Scotland. Our unified health service in
Scotland certainly sets us apart from other
countries, and facilities such as Little France,
Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth Teaching and
Learning Centre, Glasgow helps bring together
NHS, academia and industry under one roof. The
physical interactions enabled by working in such
close proximity cannot be underestimated – and
there are few places in the world where you can
come and actually work with academics from the
university and the NHS. We have worked hard,
through NRS, to build an infrastructure that is
appealing to industry and provides a great
platform to sell Scotland as a single, fully
connected research site.
Continued overleaf
9
What contribution has NRS made?
What does the future look like?
There is much to attract researchers to Scotland
but we also must ensure that we are a place
where is easy for us to do business. That means
good governance, consistent delivery and
performance and efficient, coherent structures
that make it easy to engage with Scotland. Some
of this has been delivered through single pricing
model, standard agreements and the effective
operation of the NRS Permissions Co-ordinating
Centre; and continues to develop through NHS
Research Scotland (NRS). Taking a business-like
approach to the delivery of research is essential.
NRS does not act as a ‘signposting’ organisation,
its purpose is to proactively engage with companies and researchers removing problems and
obstacles and offering up solutions. Scotland will
never be the biggest research destination but
recognition of ‘delivering research excellence’
contributes to the country’s international competitiveness and supports our vision of becoming
the global destination of choice for health
research.
Supporting this vision means we must also stay
apace with scientific developments. We can
already see that the types of studies being
delivered are changing with an increasing
number of complex, interventional studies taking
place. In my mind within 5 – 10 years’ time our
approach to clinical trials will be very different.
Patients will be in the hundreds rather than
thousands. These patients will be genetically well
defined, and the trials will be taking place on a
global scale using very expensive, niche
products. To support this we need to take a just
in time approach to delivering trials – with
patients readily available and information at our
fingertips including disease incidence and
country heat maps. This isn’t new information
and it’s all within our grasp in Scotland. What it
does need is investment and political will but
with this comes a stronger NHS with clinical
research driving innovative healthcare solutions
bringing health and financial benefits for our
population. It’s an exciting time and Scotland’s
position is strong. “
Glasgow launch boosts SHARE to over 80,000
More than 80,000 people have now signed up to
SHARE following a successful Glasgow launch on 27th
August at the Queen Elizabeth Teaching and Learning
Centre.
The event was hosted by Mr Robert Calderwood, the
Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Health Board and Professor Anna Dominiczak, Head
of the College of Medical , Veterinary and Life Sciences
at the University of Glasgow with Jamie Hepburn MSP,
Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental
Health endorsing the project.
SHARE is a collaboration between Universities and the NHS in Scotland, supported by NHS Research
Scotland and funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. It invites everyone in
Scotland aged 16 or over to sign up to a confidential register to allow SHARE to use the coded data
in their NHS computer records to check whether they may be eligible to participate in research. It
also seeks permission for the use of any leftover blood from routine clinical tests for research to
help medical science.
A series of regional launches have taken place around the country to help reach the aim of recruiting 100,000 people by the end of the year. More information is available at
www.registerforeshare.org
www.nrs.org.uk
10
NHS Research Scotland - Central Management Team
The Central Management team, set up in December 2014 and operational from April 2015 act as a
central point to help co-ordinate NRS activities, develop improved collaboration and provide core
guidance and information.
Based at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, the team is responsible for supporting the drive
to improve efficiency across NRS, proactive performance monitoring, managing strategic
collaborations and boosting the profile of clinical research activity within the NHS.
Dr Charles Weller
General Manager
Phone: +44 (0) 141 951 5508 / +44 (0) 795 135 1171
Email: [email protected]
Dawn Buchanan
Network and Specialty Groups Manager
Main: +44 (0) 141 951 5508
Email: [email protected]
Fiona Fleming
Communications Manager
Phone: +44 (0) 141 951 5508 / +44 (0) 7739 013064
Email: [email protected]
Dr Marilyn Robertson
Health Science Scotland Manager
Phone: +44 (0) 141 951 5508 / +44 (0) 07786 540257
Email: [email protected]
Dr Steven Burke
Industry Liaison Manager
Phone: +44 (0) 141 951 5508
Email: [email protected]
Eilidh Carmichael
Finance and Data Manager
Phone: +44 (0) 141 951 5508
Email: [email protected]
Jessica Clinch
Administrative Support
Main: +44 (0) 141 951 5508
Email: [email protected]
Hot desk facilities are also available at NRS - CMT
offices at Golden Jubilee National Hospital.
NHS Research Scotland
Contact Jessica Clinch to book.
11
GET INVOLVED
NHS Research Scotland is working hard to present a strong, informative and co-ordinated overview
of research activity in Scotland. Our work in numbers provides some interesting figures.
£43,386,000
invested in health
research infrastructure
by the Chief Scientist
Office of Scottish
Government.(2014/15)
4 regional nodes
Responsible for local
delivery, development
and governance of
clinical research.
14 NHS Boards
across Scotland
including four with
clinical medical
schools.
80,000+ people
have joined the
SHARE register to
take part in future
health research.
(June 2015)
1 single contact point 4 Biorepositories
for feasibility and
linking all Scottish
permissions
health boards.
10 research networks
and 14 specialty
groups
providing advice,
support and efficient
recruitment to studies.
5 Safe Havens
providing a
platform for the
safe use of NHS
electronic data.
£12,000,000
will fund up to 15
senior Scottish
clinicians over the
next 10 years to
expand the amount
of health research
carried out in
Scotland.
£10,000,000
invested in Clinical
Research Facilities
providing dedicated
clinical research
space and expertise
in conduct of clinical
trials. (2014/15)
4 partner agreements
with Pfizer, PPD,
Quintiles and Roche
to sustain strategic
collaborations with the
world’s largest
research organisations
and pharmaceutical
Companies.
1st global patient
and global highest
recruiter in multiple
studies.
Up to 60% reduction
in contracting times
realised through efficient and streamlined
189 new staff
over the last 3 years approvals process in
Scotland.
across a range of
research disciplines.
Information correct as of September 2015
However, it’s the stories that sit behind this that
illustrate the value of our workforce, clinical research expertise in Scotland and our drive to
continually ensure NHS Scotland provides the best
environment to support clinical research.
What are the latest studies in your area?
Why not raise the profile of your teams work?
Introduce a new member of your team?
Promote an event or training portfolio?
Highlight significant achievements?
NHS Research Scotland
Get in touch:
Send articles, photographs or feedback to:
e: [email protected]
t: 0141 951 5508
Research Matters publication dates:
 January 2016
 April 2016
 July 2016
E-bulletin will be circulated on the first
Wednesday of each month.
www.nrs.org.uk
12
NHS Research Scotland (NRS) is a partnership of Scottish NHS Boards and the Chief Scientist Office of Scottish
Government. Registered Number: GB 236303. Registered address: The Golden Jubilee National Hospital,
Fourth Floor East, Agamemnon St, Clydebank, G81 4DY
Published by NHS Research Scotland. All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be
reproduced in whole or part without prior permission of NHS Research Scotland (or other copyright owners).
While every effort is made to ensure that the information given here is accurate, no legal responsibility is
accepted for any errors, omissions or misleading statements.
NRS/2015/10