Research and Innovation

The Research and Innovation department comprises a multi-disciplinary team of Research Nurses, Data Officers, Clinical Trial Officers, Research Administrators and Research Support Facilitators who are based across Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Treatment Centre, and the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.

Associate Medical Director for Research and Innovation:
Miss Pamela Sivathondan

Pam is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, and was appointed to her current research role in 2022 to help promote and support research within the Trust. She is an enthusiastic research advocate who has a strong science research background and a broad experience of research in other Trusts (Leeds, Cardiff and Oxford). She is the current Principal Investigator for the ALLEGRO trial. Pam is particularly looking forward to developing the research culture here in Worcestershire.

Head of Research Operations:
Anna Walker

Anna joined the Trust in 2017, becoming Head of Research Operations in 2023. She believes that research changes lives, saves lives, and improves outcomes, benefitting not only patients, but healthcare professionals, and the wider Trust. She says “We are facing one of the most challenging times in the NHS, and research has never been more important. I am proud that we are a research-active organisation, with an enthusiastic team, and the ability to give patients in Worcestershire the opportunity to participate in meaningful research.”

Lead Research Nurse:
Jayne Tyler

Jayne qualified as a nurse in 1995 and has spent most of her working life in oncology, with a significant period of this in a research role. She is passionate about research and firmly believes that it empowers patients, drives up standards of care, and allows patients to be offered the latest in care and innovation.

Jayne says: “In my time as a research nurse I have assisted hundreds of patients access the latest drugs and innovations to improve their care and quality of life. I have seen these trials change practice and go on and improve the care of all our patients. Research puts our patients first."

Research Strategy

pdf Open our Research Strategy for 2022 - 2025 here (2.41 MB)

Active involvement in research should be a marker of quality for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Our vision is to:

• Increase opportunities for participation in research through a broad portfolio of studies that maximise recruitment and meaningfully involve patient representatives in our work
• Establish sustainable funding for research, investing income to build capacity
• Provide a quality culture and meet all targets in research through good governance
• Have a stable, skilled workforce, attracting quality staff to the Trust
• Raise the profile of research and cultivate a culture of research, as a marker of quality for the Trust
• Enable clinicians to become leaders and Chief Investigators.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Research Consortium

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Research Consortium comprises Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust. Research teams within the two Trusts work in partnership, providing a balanced portfolio of healthcare research across the region. The Consortium aims are to maximise opportunity for participation in clinical trials, support a skilled and stable workforce, and promote the highest standards of research conduct.

Taking part in research is important because clinical trials can only happen if people are willing to be involved. People choose to participate for lots of different reasons, including a desire to support research into a particular condition or disease that they care about, to improve treatments for future generations, or to access new treatments. There are different types of research available from filling in a questionnaire to being involved in a drug trial.

How to get involved

If you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial, ask your doctor, nurse or midwife if there is a clinical trial that you could join. The National Institute for Health Research “Be Part of Research” website provides information about what clinical trials are, what you might need to know if you are considering joining a trial, and what happens when you are on a trial. You can search for UK clinical trials to find ones that might be suitable.

How we use your information

For information about how your data may be used in relation to research please visit the Health Research Authority website.

Participant Research Experience Survey

Every year, the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) asks thousands of research participants to share their experiences of taking part in research.

Through the Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES), the NIHR aims to put participant experience at the heart of research delivery - helping to improve the way research studies are designed and delivered, now and in the future.

Join Dementia Research

Join Dementia Research is a place to register your interest in taking part in vital dementia research. Dementia affects more than 850,000 people in the UK, and research offers hope and understanding of what causes dementia diseases.

Delivering an existing study

There are many high-quality studies already open nationally that are looking for new sites to become involved. The National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) has a portfolio database of studies of significant national importance. The Research and Innovation team is committed to supporting the NIHR CRN to increase local research activity. Please contact us if you would like more information.

Developing your own research

The R&I team is keen to support Trust staff in developing their own research ideas. It is well established that locally-generate research is more successfully delivered and has an increased impact on local services and quality. If you have an idea for a study involving patients from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, please contact us for support.

Commercial research

Research which is sponsored by a commercial organisation, such as a pharmaceutical company, rather than by an NHS organisation or Academic Institution, is generally regarded as ‘commercial’. Commercial research forms a vital part of the Trust portfolio of research activity, and we are always keen to work with new commercial partners. Our research teams are experienced in the timely set-up and successful delivery of commercial research across multiple specialties, with a particular focus on Cardiovascular Disease, Respiratory Disease and Cancer

Student Researchers

If you are a student who plans to undertake a project at the Trust as part of your dissertation, please use the HRA Student Research Toolkit with your supervisor to determine if your project is 'research', and for an indication of the approvals that you may require.

If you are planning a Clinical Audit, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you are planning a Service Evaluation / Improvement project, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Please note that NHS Ethics approval is not required for Clinical Audit or Service Evaluation / Improvement projects.

Researcher training  

Researchers at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust can access training organised by CRN West Midlands, including Valid Informed Consent, Pharmacovigilance, Site File Management, IRAS & HRA and Protocol Design. Training is freely available, and courses are advertised and booked via a dedicated website.

GCP training

GCP is an international ethical and quality standard for the design, conduct, performance, monitoring, auditing, recording, analysis and reporting of clinical trials. The framework serves to protect the rights, safety, well-being and confidentiality of trial participants. It is a Trust requirement that local members of a research team have undertaken GCP training.

Initial GCP training can be booked via the CRN training website. Refresher training is also available face-to-face or online.

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International Clinical Trials Day 20 May

Clinical Trials Day is celebrated globally in May to recognize the day that James Lind, a ship’s surgeon in the British Royal Navy, started what is often considered the first randomized clinical trial (in this case, to study the effects of different treatments on scurvy in sailors), on May 20, 1774. About Clinical Trials Day — Clinical Trials Day.

Find out more about International Clinical Trials Day here: www.clinicaltrialsday.org/about 

Contact the research team on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Contact us

Research & Innovation Management Office
Worcestershire Clinical Research Unit
Newtown Road
Worcester
WR5 1HN (WR5 1JF for Sat-Nav)

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How to find us

The Research & Innovation Management Office is situated on Newtown Road between the Working Well Centre and John Anthony Centre. Car parking is available behind the office building.