We are delighted to announce the creation of a new working group focused on developing and sharing best practice in building stronger relationships and collaborations between Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) and the Chief Investigator (CI) community in the conduct of clinical trials.

Following our call to Network CTU Directors in May 2024, the Network Executive appointed 10 CIs to work with the Network’s clinical director. Bringing together CIs from a diverse range of specialties and professional backgrounds, the Chief Investigator Network Group (CING) will work together to identify challenges and their solutions, develop resources to support the CTU-CI collaboration, identify approaches used by other networks, and work with the CTU Network Executive Group and Director.  CING is chaired by the CTU Network’s clinical director, Prof Rustam Al-Shahi Salman.

Prof Salman said, “By including a mix of medics and other healthcare professionals from a range of disciplines across the UK, we are able to more fully represent the diversity of the Clinical Investigator community.  Among us are experienced CTU Directors, clinical directors, and emerging CIs at the forefront of their careers. This diversity not only strengthens the group, but also enhances our capacity to tackle some of the complex practical issues relating to CI involvement in the conduct of non-commercial research in the UK.”

We look forward to sharing more about their activities over the coming months.

The UKCRC Registered CTU Network is delighted to announce the release of a new resource designed to help Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) minimise their carbon footprint, specifically in the area of academic clinical trial monitoring.

The guidance provides actionable recommendations that can be applied at all levels of trial monitoring, from leveraging institutional sustainability policies to steps that individual staff members can take. It’s a practical tool for CTUs committed to conducting trials in an environmentally responsible manner.

Download your copy of the guidance here.

The UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) Network is seeking highly experienced people with expertise in specific aspects of clinical trials to join its International Registration Review Committee.

The committee is responsible for reviewing all applications for new and ongoing membership and, as such, plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the Network continues to promote excellence and integrity in non-commercial research.

The successful candidates will have a wealth of experience, knowledge, and acumen within the field of non-commercial/academic clinical trials research, demonstrate an excellent understanding of best practice as well as current drivers for change.  They will also be able to provide specialist input in relation to either Quality Assurance or Information Systems/Information Technology and Data Management.

For detailed role descriptions, and information on how to apply, please visit:

• QA Specialist Role
• IS/IT and Data Management Specialist Role

As the collective voice of non-commercial and academic clinical trials units, the Network plays an important role in engaging with Government, funders, regulators, and patients to improve and strengthen clinical research in the UK. The Network is seen internationally as an exemplar for the development of national clinical trials support. It was established in 2007 and its members are committed to setting and sharing good practice and improving standards in clinical trials.

The UKCRC CTU Network is funded by its members, and major funders have representation on the Network’s Executive Group, this includes Cancer Research UK, NIHR, Versus Arthritis, Chief Scientist Office Scotland, and Health and Social Care Research Wales.

The “Smarter Ways of Working” Task and Finish Group was formed to address the need to develop and share best practice across the UKCRC Network in relation to electronic serious adverse event (SAE) reporting systems.

One of the key objectives of this group was to understand current practice and share these findings with the wider UKCRC Registered CTU Network community.

The group has now a published a report which summarises the key findings of a survey they conducted in late 2022 into the different approaches taken by Registered CTUs to the use of electronic reporting systems. This work will form the basis for future discussions on opportunities for development and collaborative activities in this area.

You can download a copy of the report here.

Following a detailed review by a team of specialists from across the Network, the QA Operations Group has published updated guidance on QA oversight of laboratories.

This revised suite of materials provides guidance to CTUs assessing the suitability of laboratories processing and/or analysing samples used in clinical trials. It includes:

• Guidance for CTUs assessing the suitability of Labs processing research samples
• Guidance on training requirements for labs processing research samples
• A flowchart for oversight of laboratories by CTUs
• A Self-Assessment Questionnaire

We are very grateful for the assistance provided the MHRA in reviewing and updating this guidance, as well as the helpful feedback given by those who used the original versions.

Clinical trials units (CTUs) are involved in the running and oversight of clinical trials and other research studies. Documentation and data are produced for each study, and it is important to retain this for a period after the study ends to demonstrate good clinical practice. Wherever possible these documents and data should be stored in a format to facilitate more efficient reproduction of results.

This new guidance, published by the Data & IS Operations Group, outlines important points for CTUs to consider when creating an electronic archive for study-related data, metadata and associated documentation and may help units assess the ongoing suitability of their archiving policies and procedures.

You can download your copy of the guidance here.

What better way to mark World Environment Day 2024 than by becoming a supporter of the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice?

The UKCRC Registered CTU Network is pleased to announce that it has become an official supporter of the UK research and innovation (R&I) sector’s voluntary environmental sustainability concordat.

Ways to get involved

There are two ways to sign up to the Concordat – as a Signatory or as a Supporter. The Network has chosen to become a Supporter. This means we agree with the aims of the Concordat, but are unable to actively implement some of its priorities due to our role.

What does this mean for the Network?

In becoming a Supporter of the Concordat, we have stated our commitment to the following priority areas: Leadership, Emissions from Travel, and Collaborations & Partnership. We will report annually on our progress here on our website, as well as reporting to the UKCRC Board.

Whilst we do not have direct responsibility for issues such as procurement and estate policies, we will provide our members with tools to help support them when engaging in discussion with their host organisations on these matters.

We will also continue to continue to support the development of the Carbon Foot Printing tool for trials and champion it’s use.

Find out more

• To learn more about the aims and ambitions of the Concordat click here.

• To download the Network’s official letter of support please click here.

• You can find out more about World Environment Day, and this year’s theme of restoration, desertification, and drought resilience, here.

The UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) Network is seeking a highly experienced person with expertise in clinical trials to Chair its International Registration Review Committee. The committee is responsible for reviewing all applications for new and ongoing membership and, as such, plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the Network continues to promote excellence and integrity in non-commercial research.

The successful candidate will have a wealth of experience, knowledge, and acumen within the field of non-commercial/academic clinical trials research, demonstrate an excellent understanding of best practice as well as current drivers for change.

For a detailed role description, and information on how to apply, please visit https://ukcrc-ctu.org.uk/international-registration-review-committee-chair-role-information-for-applicants/

As the collective voice of non-commercial and academic clinical trials units, the Network plays an important role in engaging with Government, funders, regulators, and patients to improve and strengthen clinical research in the UK. The Network is seen internationally as an exemplar for the development of national clinical trials support. It was established in 2007 and its members are committed to setting and sharing good practice and improving standards in clinical trials.

The UKCRC CTU Network is funded by its members, and major funders have representation on the Network’s Executive Group, this includes: Cancer Research UK, NIHR, Versus Arthritis, Chief Scientist Office Scotland and Health and Social Care Research Wales.

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Nurses are the backbone of patient care around the world, and the importance of their role cannot be overstated.

In 1974, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) designated 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, as International Nurses Day.  The aim was to showcase the work undertaken by nurses in the interests of patient care as well as raise awareness of some of the issues within the nursing profession itself.

Over the years, these themes have included improving the resilience of health systems, better health through nursing research, and increasing access and equity.  In 2024, they are focusing on how strategic investment in nursing can bring about both economic and societal benefits.

Thank you to nurses everywhere for everything you do!

You can find out more about the ICN and this year’s campaign here: www.icn.ch/.

2023 was an exciting time for the UKCRC Registered CTU Network with changes in the research environment and opportunities to build on learning from the pandemic and transform the design and delivery of trials.  There were also changes within the Network Secretariat.

During the year, over 750 delegates from across the Network took part in face-to-face or online events.  These included webinars on subjects as diverse as the Better Methods, Better Research funding programme and different approaches to data management.  There were also quarterly ‘monitoring clinics’ which provided an opportunity for staff with a responsibility for trial monitoring to share experiences, solutions, and best practice.

There were more than 2000 views and downloads of our guidance and training materials.  These include the training for staff undertaking clinical trial monitoring, as well as information to support units preparing to undergo MHRA inspection.  All outputs can be viewed here.