UK Policy Framework

UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research

Published 16th October 2017, click here for website.

Key Points

• The Policy Framework is a new UK wide framework for health and social care research, which sets out principles of good practice in the management and conduct of health and social care research, and the responsibilities of the parties involved.

• The responsibilities have not changed - there is an expectation that the good practice described in the Framework already is or should be happening.

• Practices need to be aware of their responsibilities predominantly as Research Sites, Members of Research Teams and Employers of Research Teams, although some practices may act in other capacities.

• Practices who are not research active still have the responsibilities as Health and Social Care Providers and are expected to "recognise the importance of research in improving treatments, care and other services and their outcomes".

• It is important to note that the role of support organisations such as CRN / Primary and Community Care Research Offices is to support General Practices and organisations undertaking research to fulfill their responsibilities, they do not take these responsibilities away.

Scope

• Applies to Health and Social Care Research within the responsibility of HRA (or Devolved Administrations):

  • Research concerned with protection and promotion of Public Health

  • Research undertaken in or by as UK Health Department; its non-Departmental Public Bodies or NHS or social care providers

    • Inc. contractors providing NHS or social care services (e.g. care homes, private treatment services, services bought via Personal Health Budgets)

  • Both clinical and non-clinical research undertaken by NHS or social care staff using resources of Health and Social Care providers, and any research undertaken within health and social care systems that might have impact on the quality of those services

Glossary

• Clinical Research Network (CRN) - The NIHR CRN is a national network across England that provides the infrastructure for delivering nationally important research in the NHS. It is made up of 15 local CRNs.

• HRA - The Health Research Authority was established in December 2011 to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health research, and to streamline the regulation of research. In 2015/16 HRA Approval was introduced to centralize the process of approval of research in the NHS.

• Sponsor - The Sponsor is the organisation that takes on responsibility for initiation, management and financing (or arranging the financing) of the research.

• Chief Investigator (CI) - An individual who is responsible for the conduct of the whole project in the UK.

• Principle Investigator (PI) - An individual responsible for the conduct of the research at a research site.

• Research Site - The single organisation responsible for hosting the research at a particular locality.

Responsibilities

• Practices are likely to have responsibilities as Research Sites; where they are undertaking procedures in line with the research protocol, also act as members of a Research Team, and as Employers of members of a research team. In some circumstances GPs / Practices may also act as Chief Investigator (CI) or Sponsor, or have delegated responsibilities from the CI.

Principles

• The Policy Framework sets out 19 Principles of Good Practice in Health and Social Care research. Different parties have responsibilities against the different principles.

See this summary sheet for further information.