Research

Taking part in Research

The Manor Group is involved in medical research and from time to time you may be approached to take part. Taking part in research is voluntary: you can freely accept or decline, and this will not affect the care that you receive in any way. Even if you agree to take part, you can still withdraw at any time, without having to provide justification. Withdrawing from a study will NOT affect the care we provide for you.

All research projects carried out at the Manor Group have been thoroughly checked and approved by the relevant health authorities & ethical committees ensuring it is appropriate and safe to perform. You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve and will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details about a study. All projects are fully compliant with all UK laws (incl. GDPR).

• You may receive a text message, email or a letter in the post offering you the opportunity to take part in a study (the letter will include some information about the project).
• Your doctor or nurse may also discuss research opportunities during your usual appointment.
• You may also be approached by a member of the study team in the waiting area; be assured that this person and their activity will have been approved by the practice.

What you will be asked to do as part of the research will vary from study to study. The Patient Information Sheet for each project will detail what is expected of you. The study team is also there to answer all questions you may have

Our Team

The Research Team at the Manor Group consists of Dr Benn Gooch, GP Partner for Research; Dr Adam Lewandowski, GP Clinical Lead for Research & Principal Investigator; Victoria Mills, Research Nurse; and Michelle Carter, Research and Finance Administrator.

Is research right for me & what do patients taking part in research really think?

Ultimately, our research helps people to access and take part in studies which could potentially make a real difference to their health conditions and quality of life. Click on the links below to hear more from patients who have taken part in research: Click on the links to find out more information:

• Health talk: Patient and public involvement in research
• Clinical Research Network - Patient Research Experience Survey

What are the benefits of your practice being active in research?

Evidence suggests that patients who receive care in research-active institutions have better health outcomes than those who are treated in a non-research environment. By joining the research community, we are actively helping to improve the standard of healthcare for our patients.

Research provides an opportunity for you, the patient, to better understand your health conditions as well as give something back to the NHS and wider community. Sometimes it can provide patients with access to new treatments, as well as bringing a new dimension to practice and added skills to those involved.

The practice will receive funding to cover any additional costs of taking part in research (it does not come out of our own budget and so routine patient services will not be affected).

Things you may want to know

• Participation in research is entirely voluntary and you have the right to say ‘No’.  Nobody will put pressure on you to take part in research if you do not wish to.  You do not have to give us a reason if you decide not to take part.
• Your care and your relationship with your doctor or nurse will not be affected in any way if you decide not to take part in a research study.
• You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve.  The practice will usually provide you with a patient information sheet; then, if you agree to take part, the study team will explain the study to you in more detail and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about it.
• Nobody from outside this practice will be given your contact details or have access to your medical records without your prior consent.  If you do agree to take part in a study, you will be asked to sign a consent form – this will clearly state which parts of your notes (if any) may be looked at for the purposes of the research.
• You will not be asked to take part in a large number of studies.  Most researchers are very specific about the criteria that people need to meet in order to enter their study.  Usually this means that only a relatively small number of patients at the practice will be suitable for any one study.

Your data for research (GDPR guidelines and Anonymous data)

If you do agree to take part in a study, you will be asked to sign a consent form. This will clearly state which parts of your medical notes (if any) may be looked at for the purposes of the research study. Nobody from outside your practice organisation will be given your contact details or have access to your medical records without your prior consent.

This practice is also participating in (x) national database project(s) which collects anonymised electronic medical records from GP surgeries throughout the UK.  Through the electronic clinical system we use to record medical notes, a completely anonymous (i.e. no identifiable patient details are shared at all) extract is taken which is used for medical research.  This clinical data is then catalogued and provides continuous monitoring of infection and disease around the UK.

Use of third-party document outsource processors (mailing companies)

Researchers regularly use document outsource processors such as Docmail to send study information to people who might be interested in taking part in clinical research. Only companies that are confirmed as being fully compliant with the laws surrounding data protection and data sharing, such as GDPR, are used. In addition to this, providers will be reviewed and permitted by the regulatory bodies that ethically approve, govern, and oversee clinical research taking place in the UK, such as the NHS Health Research Authority and Research Ethics Committees.

We would like to reassure you that, should you receive an invite to participate in a research study:

• The letter will have come directly from the practice. We do not share identifiable information with researchers without patient consent.
• It is our practice staff who perform research mailouts using the document outsource processor. Your contact details will not be shared outside of the system and will be deleted after 28 days.

What if I don’t want to get involved in research?

We recognise that some people may not want to receive information about research studies by post or text message. If you do not want to be contacted about research studies that we may run at the practice in the future, please let us know. If you change your mind at a later date, you can still opt back in at any time

To opt out of participating in any research studies visit the NHS Your Data Matters website to set your preferences

Our studies

Active and upcoming studies

• ARMADILO – a study testing how accurately multi-cancer blood tests help GPs decide which patients with vague symptoms, such as weight loss or stomach pain, need urgent cancer tests
• ASTHMA DX – a platform to test new diagnostic techniques against current methods, to improve asthma diagnosis in primary care
• DaRe2THINK – a trial run through GP electronic health records, testing whether giving a blood-thinning tablet (DOAC) to people with AF at low-to-intermediate stroke risk reduces stroke, cardiovascular death and decline in thinking, compared with usual care
• DISCOVER ME – a study building a resource that links health records with genetic data from a saliva or mouth swab sample, to understand disease risk and progression in primary care
• EVOLUTION – a study to compare the clinical and cost effectiveness of the standard vs a new diagnostic process for UTIs to prevent bacterial resistance to antibiotics
• FluSNIFF (Toddler) – a Phase 2 trial testing the safety of a single dose of nasal spray flu vaccine (LAIV) against placebo in children aged 12–23 months, an age group not yet offered the NHS nasal flu vaccine
• OCCUR – a clinical trial to compare whether colchicine or steroid medication provide better pain relief from gout flares for those unable to take NSAIDs, fewer side effects and better value for the NHS
• P RISK – a study to look at the feasibility and acceptability of using a psychosis risk prediction tool, based on GP records, in primary care
• PARC – a trial testing whether an extra nurse-led asthma review for children aged 1–17 prescribed six or more reliever inhalers in a year reduces severe asthma attacks
• POST – a feasibility trial of a low-energy, low-carbohydrate food-based diet with practice nurse support for people with PCOS who are overweight, looking at whether it can be delivered in primary care and how it affects weight and PCOS symptoms
• RCGP RSC – national disease surveillance: nose and throat swabs from volunteer patients track respiratory viruses and vaccine effectiveness, and blood samples track exposure and immune responses to infections such as Covid-19 and influenza
• SPECTRUM – a trial comparing two six-week sleep improvement programmes in young adults with depression and anxiety, to see which improves sleep, body-clock timing and mental health mor

Completed studies

• AIRLYMPUS – a commercial Phase 2 trial testing an injected medicine, lunsekimig, against placebo added to usual treatment in adults with high-risk asthma who are not currently eligible for biologic treatments
• ANTLER 75+ – a double-blind randomised trial testing whether adults aged 75 and over who have recovered from depression do better continuing their antidepressant for a further 12 months or tapering onto placebo
• BIVISTA – a Phase 2 trial testing whether a new typhoid and paratyphoid A vaccine protects healthy adults aged 18–55 when they are deliberately exposed to paratyphoid A bacteria under controlled conditions
• CARES (Cancer Appetite Recovery Study) – a commercial Phase 1/2 trial comparing the synthetic cannabinoid ART27.13 with placebo for loss of appetite and weight in people with cancer
• COMPASS (COMPASS Pathways COMP360 programme) – a commercial Phase 3 trial testing two doses, three weeks apart, of COMP360 (synthetic psilocybin) at 25 mg or 10 mg against a near-inactive 1 mg dose, given with psychological support, for treatment-resistant depression
• CONTACT-GAD – an international trial testing tailored ACT plus usual care against usual care alone for reducing anxiety in people aged 60+ whose GAD has not responded to first-line antidepressants or CBT
• Genes & Health – one of the world's largest community genetics studies, analysing genetic variation and its links to disease in 100,000 people of British Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage, with scope to recontact participants for further research
• IID3 – the third UK-wide study of infectious intestinal disease (diarrhoea and vomiting), measuring how much occurs in the community, how much reaches GPs, and which germs cause it
• INDIGO (INDIGO Community) – an online questionnaire study on quality of life and community services used by people aged 16+ living after cancer (diagnosed over 12 months ago), and how to make questionnaires easy to complete
• LOGIC – a study comparing a low-carbohydrate diet designed to keep weight stable with one designed to cause weight loss, to see the effect on blood glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes
• MONET – a single-blind randomised trial using MRI and nerve tests to understand how home nerve-gliding exercises change the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome, compared with steroid injection or advice alone
• OPTIMISE2 – a primary care trial testing whether stepwise reduction of blood-pressure medicines is safe and cost-effective compared with usual care, in people aged 75+ with well-controlled blood pressure who are frail or at higher risk of side effects
• PEACE – a study to understand how memory, attention and thinking are affected in conditions related to psychosis.
• PETRUSHKA – a trial testing a web-based decision support tool that predicts which antidepressant is likely to suit each person with depression best, compared with usual care
• PHASED-IN – a feasibility trial linking GP practices to community pharmacies, using shared decision tools, point-of-care CRP testing and self-care leaflets, to see whether care for common acute infections can be safely shared beyond general practice
• SAMS (Sleep, Ageing and Memory Study) – a study comparing sleep, memory and thinking, 24-hour rest–activity patterns and light exposure in people aged 55+ with MCI and in healthy ageing
• TREETOP – an observational study testing a new breathing test that measures how evenly the lungs exchange gas, to see whether it detects early lung changes in current smokers at risk of COPD before spirometry can; primary care helps identify smokers with no diagnosed lung disease
• UKIDS – a study using MRI to assess the health of several organs (kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen and aorta) in people with type 2 diabetes
• Yellow Card Biobank – an MHRA and Genomics England collaboration collecting saliva samples from patients who report a suspected medicine side effect through the Yellow Card scheme; its current phase asks whether genes affect the risk of acute pancreatitis with GLP-1 medicines