North

Name of organisation	NHS Grampian R&D
Population	500K
Annual in patient visits	150K
Annual out patient visits	530K
R&D Director	Professor Seshadri Vasan
Address	Foresterhill House Annexe, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZB
Telephone	01224 551121
Email	gram.randd@nhs.scot
Web	NHS Grampian R&D

The North node is formed of NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, and NHS Western Isles, and is managed from the R&D Office in NHS Grampian. This node takes the lead on an efficient permissions system by hosting the NRS Permissions Coordinating Centre.

The goal of NHS Grampian R&D is to support and promote high-quality clinical research for the health benefits of our population and to enable Scotland to deliver world-class health outcomes.

For those who wish to set up new clinical research projects, we provide a streamlined support service from study inception to study closedown, including help with writing funding application, protocols, and necessary approvals.

We ensure all research is conducted to a high scientific, ethical and financial standard for both commercial and non-commercial research and help our researchers meet research governance and regulatory requirements.

We provide fully trained experienced research nurses and administration support, study support facilitators and appropriate research facilities/resources including training, a Clinical Trials Pharmacy, Research Imaging Platforms, Biorepository and Safehaven.

Dedicated Clinical Research Facilities are available in the Clinical Research Facility (CRF), housed in the Health Sciences Building (HSB) and also in a variety of clinical settings in the main hospital complex. These facilities support research in some high activity specialities including oncology, haematology, cardiology, orthopaedics, diabetes, rheumatology, clinical pharmacology, connective tissue disease, cardiovascular/stroke, paediatrics’ and mental health

Eligible studies have access to a cohort of trained research nurses based in these CRFs.

NHS Grampian R&D is also committed to improving public awareness and involvement in clinical research, as part of an ongoing collaborative project.

We have created a website to help promote awareness – www.grampianclinicalresearch.com – and are working to supporting and promoting patient and public involvement in research. 

Services

Support to researchers and partners is provided in every activity during the lifetime of a clinical research project:

Set Up	Regulatory submission – REC; MHRA; ARSAC Infrastructure support – CRF, Imaging, Safe Haven, Biorepository, CRF/Ecrf Design IMP Trial master file set up DSMC.
Data Management	Recruitment reporting Data entry Data queries SAE resolution Database lock Statistical analyses.
Pre-award	Risk assessment Sponsorship Feasibility Costing Protocol development Analytical plan.
Study Conduct	Screening Recruitment tracking Randomisation Data collection Protocol amendment Trial monitoring IMP accountability Pharmacovigilance.
End of Trial	Site close out End of trial Notification IMP reconciliation TMF audit Archiving Publication.

 

Key R&D contacts

Interim Senior R&D Manager	Dr Susan Ridge susan.ridge@nhs.scot 01224 553728
Non-commercial Research Manager	Dr Susan Ridge susan.ridge@nhs.scot 01224 553728
Head of Commercial Services, R&D	Dr Alison Stewart alison.stewart10@nhs.scot 01224 554958
CRF Manager	Dr Mariella D’Alessandro mariella.dalessandro@nhs.scot 01224 554051
Research Governance Manager	Louise King researchgovernance@abdn.ac.uk
Biorepository	gram.biorepository@nhs.scot
Pathology archive	gram.pharmacytrials@nhs.scot
Safe haven	dash@abdn.ac.uk
Clinical trials pharmacy	gram.pharmacytrials@nhs.scot
Imaging	gram.radiologyrandd@nhs.scot
Project Management	Commercial - gram.randd_commercial@nhs.scot Non-commercial - gram.randdpermissions@nhs.scot
Clinical Trials Unit	chart@abdn.ac.uk