CRP Bulletin - July 2025

Welcome 

Summer has definitely arrived with its lovely warm days and lighter evenings. 

We have lots of exciting news to share with you this quarter, including  an update about the Experienced Practitioner Gateway, the first CRPs to become registered at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Research and Innovation Department, information about  some upcoming reflective writing skills virtual workshops  and Continuing Professional Development tips. We also have our regular features of CRP stories, CRP Publications and Spotlight Section. This quarter we have added a new feature, celebration of CRP colleagues. We would love to hear more CRP success stories.

If you have any stories or information you would like to share, please contact your local CRP Engagement Lead. 

The editorial board for quarter's bulletin are:

• Ruth Johns (CRP, West Midlands RRDN ) 

• Rachel Evans (Senior CRP, West Midlands  RRDN)

• Rhianne Bostock (CRP, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust)

• Jessica Brock (CRP Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)

• Emma Douglas (CRP Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust)

• Stephanie King-Jones (RDN CC GCP National Lead / Learning & Development Facilitator, East Midlands RRDN

Sherwood Forest Hospitals Research First!

Sherwood Forest Hospitals (SFH) Research and Innovation Department is proud to announce that Shraddha More is our first Clinical Research Practitioner (CRP) to be registered on the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) register. She will be closely followed in the next few weeks by Helen Shirt.

SFH would like to celebrate with the larger CRP and Research community in recognising the outstanding commitment and hard work both Shraddha and Helen have put in to reach this goal and our congratulations go out to them both as their registrations marks a major milestone for the SFH research workforce and research delivery across our hospitals. CRP registration supports quality care and patient safety and supports future career development.

Phil Bolton, Chief Nurse at SFH, agreed, adding: “We are really pleased and proud that Shraddha and Helen have become our first Clinical Research Practitioners. This shows the commitment of the Trust and more importantly the research team’s desire to develop its staff, providing career pathways and development opportunities with the main aim of improving patient care and outcomes”.

Their achievement adds to the growing list of accolades for the SFH Research and Innovation department and reflects the Trust’s commitment to professional recognition and growth in research, as we look forward to our remaining CRPs achieving registration over the coming year.

Again, well done Shraddha and Helen.

If you’re a CRP or support one, talk to us about how we can support your registration journey by emailing philip.buckley@nhs.net or lynne.allsop1@nhs.net 

Continuous Professional Development  Verifier Tips 

My verifier top tips: 

• Keep a log – As you complete training throughout the year ensure you keep an up to date log, this will make completing the CPD Audit process much easier. 

• Don’t rush – You are given plenty of time to submit your evidence, take the time to ensure you cover all of your learning for the year and evidence how this has impacted your practice. 

• Make it continuous – If you go to an event, complete some training, give a presentation, or deliver some training, take the time once you have done it to reflect, collect the evidence and add this to your portfolio. Make this part of your everyday practice and it will become a habit. Consider using Gibbs Reflective Cycle to help structure reflections or a similar tool. 

• Make it varied – You need to demonstrate different types of learning in your CPD. This can be event attendance certificates, training certificates, presentations or training slides you have developed, SOPs or guidance documents you have created, feedback from peers/colleagues/participants. This is not an exhaustive list; you can demonstrate your learning however you wish, as long as it is clear for the verifier to see. 

• Ask for advice – If you are struggling or in need of guidance don’t be afraid to ask. This could be a fellow CRP, your CRP Engagement Lead or another colleague. If you can’t find someone, there are others in our wider CRP community who would be happy to help where possible. If you don’t know who your local Engagement Lead is they can be found here. 

• Sell yourself – This is your chance to speak about everything you have been doing to develop yourself and extend your learning. This is an opportunity to document everything you have been doing in your role as a CRP. 

• Don’t Compare – We are all different, working for different organisations, in different specialities and our roles will look a little different. Your learning and development will be different to others and that is absolutely fine. There is no one size fits all. Make sure you tailor your CPD and portfolio to be unique to you. 

• Proof Reading – It often helps to have a manager or colleague proofread before submission. We often undersell our achievements and others may be better at pointing out the additional things we do and contribute to our teams that would be considered CPD. 

I am always happy to help with any CPD queries or questions if anyone needs extra support!  (Rhianne.Bostock@nottshc.nhs.uk)

Celebrating CRP colleagues

In this edition we would like to shine a light on two of our CRP colleagues .  Please take the time to read their inspiring interviews. 

How long have you been working in research, and how did you get into it?

Since 2010, not long after graduating from Sheffield Hallam with my radiotherapy qualifications. At the time, there weren’t any roles in my field, so I sort of stumbled into research. I still remember someone introducing me with, "This is Maxine; she's only here until she gets a real job." Well, it’s been 14 years and five months... so I think it’s safe to say I’m sticking around!

How did you make that jump from research delivery to PI/CI /named author?

My decision to take this next step in my career was driven entirely by the encouragement I received to apply for the Leading Clinical Research Delivery course. This is an MSc programme funded by the NIHR and aligned with the NIHR–Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) Clinician Researcher Credentials Framework. 

The course is specifically designed to support practising clinicians who are looking to develop careers in clinical research delivery. Taking on the MSc marked a significant milestone in my career. It not only equipped me with the knowledge and practical skills needed to thrive in research leadership roles but also gave me the confidence to take on the responsibilities of a Principal Investigator (PI) and Chief Investigator (CI). As a direct result of this course, I have gone on to develop a research project that we hope will become a recall study within the NIHR BioResource. This experience has empowered me to contribute meaningfully to the future of clinical research and to support others on similar paths.

Did joining the register help you develop your career?

Yes, registering was a major milestone for me. To the best of my knowledge, I was the first person in the Leeds and surrounding area to register as a Clinical Research Practitioner (CRP). This step not only paved the way for more senior roles but also formally acknowledged me as a clinical professional within the research workforce. It gave my role credibility and reinforced my place within the wider clinical community.

Any tips for early-career CRPs?

Be a sponge—soak up everything. One of the best things you can do early on is to learn from the people around you. Whether it's experienced CRPs, nurses, PIs, or data managers, everyone has insights that can shape how you grow in this field. Ask questions (even the ones that feel obvious), shadow people when you can, and observe how others navigate challenges. Also, grab hold of any educational or training opportunities that come your way even if they seem outside your immediate role. Courses, webinars, shadowing days, or even short secondments can open up new perspectives and skillsets that will make you a more well-rounded professional. And finally, stay curious. Research is constantly evolving, and so should you. The more you invest in your development, the more confident and capable you’ll feel, whether you're coordinating studies or aiming for leadership roles in the future.

Maxine is set to submit her research paper to the REC department by 2026 at the latest. This represents a significant landmark in her career. A passionate advocate for the Clinical Research Practitioner (CRP) role, Maxine has been an outstanding mentor and source of guidance for CRPs both locally and throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Ibiyemi: A lot of my support came from mentorship and collaboration with senior colleagues across NHS Trusts. My time at Imperial College Healthcare, Royal Marsden Hospital and now at Croydon University Hospital exposed me to multidisciplinary teams where knowledge-sharing and peer support were pivotal. I also benefited from leadership training through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (Advanced Leadership programme), which played a big role in shaping my path, and also leadership training courses at Royal Marsden Hospital. I am committed to personal development through various opportunities online and face to face training.  

Blessing: I know that you have published two papers - congratulations, how did you make that jump from research delivery to a named author?

Ibiyemi: Thank you! That transition was rooted in my early academic work. I contributed to pharmacogenetics research back in Nigeria, which culminated in a publication in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Later, my involvement in protocol development with groups, site investigators meeting and trial management here in the UK, provided opportunities to contribute to writing and shaping studies, and from there, authorship roles followed. Some of the trials I worked on have been published and I was named as co-author. My interest in academia is still growing. I recently achieved MPhil in Translational Medicine from University of West London. 

I decided to pull some of my fundamental research work together coherently to contribute to knowledge, professionally and academically. 

Blessing: I recently joined the CRP register which I felt was a great achievement for me, how did joining the register help you develop your career?

Ibiyemi: Joining the register formalised my identity as a Clinical Research Professional and opened doors to leadership and more collaborative opportunities, like becoming the CRP Engagement Lead. It’s also allowed me to advocate more effectively for CRP recognition and helped me mentor others through the registration process. 

Blessing: How long did it take you to complete your CRP registration process, and what did that journey look like?

Ibiyemi: I was part of the Pilot group with an application deadline. The whole process took me less than  one month from when I started preparing my application to when I was successfully registered. It involved reflecting on my competencies, gathering evidence of my experience, and writing up detailed narratives. It was intensive but very rewarding and it really made me appreciate the depth of my work over the years especially when used at the competency framework.

Blessing: For those considering the CRP register, what would you say is the most important thing to prepare before starting the application?

Ibiyemi: Start by understanding the standards and domains set out by the Academy for Healthcare Science. Map your experience to those areas and collect solid evidence, whether starting a new study, team’s continuous improvement work, audits, training, or team leadership examples. It helps to keep a portfolio. Also, find a mentor or colleague who has gone through it, especially local CRP Champions or Engagement Leads, they can offer invaluable guidance. For a new starter, it helps to start the career development with a competency framework. 

Blessing: Were there any parts of the CRP registration process that surprised you or that you found particularly challenging?

Ibiyemi: The process is straightforward - however, I found the reflective writing part slightly challenging, not because of a lack of experience, but because putting it into words that clearly matched the framework required a different mindset. But once I got into it, it became a great opportunity to pause and take stock of how far I have come, my contributions to the field and a way to celebrate my achievements.

Blessing: How do you think CRP registration is changing the landscape for research delivery professionals?

Ibiyemi: It’s a game-changer as it paves the way for professionalism. Registration gives recognition to the vital roles we play in research delivery. It brings credibility and structure to our career paths and helps raise the profile of CRPs across the NHS. I’ve seen more Trusts now integrating CRP frameworks into their recruitment and development strategies, which is fantastic for the profession.

Blessing: Do you feel that your CRP registration has influenced how you are perceived within your team or across the wider research community?

Ibiyemi: Definitely. It’s helped reinforce my leadership role and has opened doors for more collaboration, especially in regional engagement initiatives. Being registered signals professionalism and commitment to standards; it’s something that resonates both with clinicians and fellow researchers. For managers and workforce development teams, CRPs need assurance of their developments; therefore you should help them to develop essential skills to improve visibility and increase participation in research, including digital skills and a future with advanced specialist roles to increase specialisation, such as nurses (e.g. Advanced Nurse Practitioners) focusing on specific areas such as oncology, cardiology, dementia or diabetes. 

Blessing: And lastly do you have any tips for early careers CRPs?

Ibiyemi: Absolutely. Stay curious, be proactive, seek out training opportunities, build strong networks, and do not hesitate to ask questions, challenge yourselves, document your success and failures and be your own critic. Being part of forums, professional groups such as LinkedIn (especially Clinical Research Practitioners CRPs on https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12606184/) or regional groups can make a big difference. 

Joining the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) Professional Standards Authority (PSA)-Accredited Register to become a registered CRP is more than a formality.  It formally identifies a professional commitment to excellence, to participant care and safety, and to the integrity and standards of practice to deliver research.  Registration with the AHCS formally recognises the skills, knowledge and responsibility being brought to every study and to every participant.  By demonstrating that CRP practice meets a high benchmark, it strengthens trust, enables accountability, and supports the professional development of this incredible workforce so that CRPs are increasingly valued and visible as vital members of the research delivery workforce. 

Registration isn’t just an email footer (although it is GREAT to see it there), it is a statement of your professionalism, your commitment to participant safety and identifies your vital role in delivering world-class research. 

The AHCS Register, accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, has included CRPs since April 2021, and this established identification of registered CRPs as a distinct and accountable professional group regulated by the AHCS.

This professionalising approach has led to growth of training and development opportunities, ensuring representation and a voice for registered CRPs alongside other health and care professionals.  Registered CRPs are also increasingly included within multi-professional career development approaches and the anticipated UK Government Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Strategy and Implementation Plan for the research delivery workforce will enable this further to embed registered CRPs as a recognised profession.

 So, registration is not just for now - it is for your future career!

If you have any questions you'd like to see explored here, please send them to rdnworkforcedevelopment@nihr.ac.uk