The Clinical Research Hub

Hub Partners: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is highly research active and has more than doubled its patient recruitment into clinical trials since 2007/8 with 2010/11 seeing over 1900 patients recruited, to NIHR portfolio studies allowing the residents of Blackpool and the Fylde coast and beyond to have access to the latest treatments. The research workforce has more than tripled over the same period with dedicated sessions for consultant medical staff, research nurses and research support staff including clinical trials administrators, pharmacy and medical records staff. The research workforce is supported by a highly experienced R&D Department.

With a large number of research active staff, the Trust has seen its research interests expand into a number of different clinical specialities and is well known for good recruitment rates particularly in cardiology and haematology, having the two tertiary centres for these specialities as well as for stroke, critical care and gastroenterology. The Trust is recognised by the NIHR CCRN and Pharma industry for delivering the NW Exemplar programme with great success.

The Trust is now developing its own research studies and is working closely with the Clinical Research Hub and has submitted two studies for funding medical charity and Research for Patient Benefit funding and is developing a further three studies.

In the spring of 2012 the Trust's new Clinical Research Centre will officially open. The CRC offers:

• Four private and spacious consultation rooms providing comfortable areas for participants
• Bright and comfortable patient waiting area
• Friendly, experienced staff to greet and care for trial participants
• Extensive range of equipment with dedicated emergency equipment with additional on-site facilities
• Seminar rooms with wireless internet and projector facilities
• Sample repository and archive storage facilities
• Office accommodation for research staff.

The CRC provide patients with the opportunity to participate in leading-edge research, which aims to turn scientific breakthroughs into new ways to prevent, manage and treat diseases. The CRC allows us to undertake even more research, bringing new treatments developments and to further improve patient outcomes in Lancashire.

Current areas of research interest

• Cardiology
  • Acute Coronary Syndrome, Valvular Heart Disease, Hypertension, Arrhythmias, Heart Failure
  • Interventional Cardiology including structural heart disease, cardiovascular pharmacology including platelet studies
  • Atrial Fibrillation, Anticoagulation, Acute Myocardial Infarction, Ischeamic Heart Disease
  • Unstable Angina, Syndrome X, Cardiac CT, Anticoagulation
  • Pacing and complex studies
  • Novel neurohormonal modulation as medical management and patient selection for device therapy
• Cardiothoracic
  • Clinical & translational research in cardiac and thoracic surgery
• Oncology
  • Breast, Gynae, Colorectal, Head & Neck, UGI and Lung.
• Haematology
  • Leukaemias, Lymphoma, Myeloma, Mylodysplasia, common and non-common blood disorders.
• Stroke
  • All aspects of stroke from hyperacute studies to rehabilitation and therapy studies including members of the MDT
• Surgery
  • Knee and shoulder surgery, knee and shoulder biomechanics, molecular biology of joint stiffness, orthopaedic trauma, medical education
• Critical Care
  • Intensive Care Medicine, Paediatric Anaethesia, Resuscitation.
• Infection / Microbiology
• Gastroenterology
  • Carcinoma of the oesophagus. Liver, NSAID related conditions and the gut.
• Paediatrics
  • Neurodisability and complex health needs and health service delivery
• Paediatric emergency and ambulatory care, and allergy
• Diabetes
• Cystic fibrosis
• Epilepsy, Child protection, HIV and adolescent medicine / eating disorders
• Emergency Medicine
  • Emergency Medicine Care
• Ophthalmology
  • General Ophthalmology and particularly oculoplastic surgery
• Medical Informatics
• Rheumatology
  • Musculoskeletal science and bioscience. Development of new biomarkers for joint disease and degeneration, including the use of acoustic technology for this purpose, and to assess the efficacy of biologic treatments and other interventions in joint inflammation.
• Respiratory Medicine
  • All aspects of respiratory and general medicine
  • Pleural disease, pulmonary vascular disease and COPD
  • Sleep medicine
• Endocrinology
• Obstetrics
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology with special interest in Urogynecology.

Further information

To contact our researchers in any of the specialities above, please contact:

Dr Peter Isaacs (R&D Director)
Dr Megan Thomas (Associate R&D Director)
Michelle Stephens (R&D Manager)
Joanne Howard (Clinical Research Nurse Manager)
Helen Spickett (R&D Officer)
Maureen Morgan (R&D Administrator)

The R&D Department
Home 5
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHSFT
Blackpool Victoria Hospital
Whinney Heys Road
Blackpool
FY3 8NR

Tel: 01253 65 5547
Fax: 01253 30 3038
Email: ResearchIdeas@bfwhospitals.nhs.uk