Our Annual Report
Here is our CRN East of England Annual Statistics, giving an overview of the incredible efforts of our region's teams to deliver research over the last year .
2021-22 CRN East of England Annual Reporting
Last year saw increases in study numbers and recruitment for many specialties, including Cancer, Stroke and Cardiovascular trials. Click on the infographic below for a summary of these, read the comprehensive breakdown or contact our team for more detailed information.
Industry and Managed Recovery
CRN East of England (EoE) consolidated its commercial performance, achieving 8 UK commercial firsts (a fifth of all Network firsts), 3 of which were from Greenshoots awardees. Eight Partner Organisations (POs) qualified for Efficient Study Delivery, with 7 achieving Recruitment to Time and Target (RTT) making the network the highest performing LCRN in percentage terms (88%). PO performance for Managed Recovery (MR) commercial studies was similarly robust, with 75% of study sites achieving RTT. Partners recruited 86 participants (the second highest commercial MR recruitment) to 19 commercial MR studies, more than any other LCRN. Study designs were adapted to enable remote consultations, with participants taking their own measurements and blood samples (examples within the MR non-commercial portfolio included PAM (43962) and GLOW (36457), both of which recruited to time and target).
COVID-19 response
The network delivered strong performance on COVID-19 studies and One Norwich Practices was the top recruiting site nationally for the PANORAMIC study (51313), with robust mentored Associate Principal Investigator (API) support. In response to workforce pressures the network set up and funded POs to develop their staff banks through a network-wide Bank Scheme, which will continue into 2022/23.
Under-served Communities
The network targeted delivery support within under-served and highly deprived areas to enable increased participation, including recruitment to PANORAMIC. The delivery team was bolstered to increase research participation within the Peterborough region, while training for the Core Team on Easy Read initiatives ensured that study information was at an appropriate reading-level, including Phosphate (50088) and HICC (46630). A ‘Reach Out’ Easy Read letter was mailed to all patients in The Beaches practice, which has particularly low literacy levels (ONS data 2017, PHE) and is one of the ‘places’ the network will be working with during 2022/23.
Digital
The network continues to develop innovative digital solutions, including an updated Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES) dashboard and the introduction of a children’s dashboard, providing POs with ‘real time’ data by specialty on their PRES returns (EoE has the second highest PRES returns nationally, at 2619 responses). The network also devised a new eLearning PRES module, completed by 41 partners, and had a more than tenfold increase in the number of Primary Care PRES responses (759 responses compared to 68 responses in 2020/21). A supra-network project resulted in the creation of EDGE help and guidance eLearning tools, including online tutorials for end users. Working with study teams, one practice has introduced an automated way to extract follow up data for CamCan (34723) and Safer (43549). 8 new packages were hosted on NIHR Learn and >4000 participants accessed training across the region.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
The network’s public contributor membership was expanded to be more representative of the region. The network also developed an EDI Toolkit for the Study Support Service team to support learning and Chief Investigators, while a regional NIHR-wide strategic inclusion steering group was established to develop a synergistic approach to EDI. In parallel, EDI participant data readiness work was undertaken with partners to pave the way for Year of Birth reporting, which is now in place, while work was undertaken in POs where data indicated gaps in participation in EDI. Ongoing work will focus on pragmatic solutions to language translation, and funding was awarded for language translation on websites through a Digital Innovation Scheme to widen inclusivity.
Transformation of Research Delivery (TRD)
Public Health (PH) leaders and officers were appointed in each of the network’s 4 Local Authorities (LAs), and a senior social care leaders’ group was convened. Despite challenging times in the Care Home sector, the number of Care Homes participating within the Enhancing Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) programme increased (from 0 to 21), and a successful pilot scheme created a Suffolk schools’ network working with LAs, Health Watch and other key stakeholders. Allied to this, the TRD team established across the region’s 4 geographical hubs supported the East of England-led Prodemos study (40549), which recruited to time and target.
Thank you to all participants, staff and supporters involved in our region's research during 2021/22
Delivering research to make patients, the NHS and social care, better