NCA Research & Innovation

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NCA Research & Innovation Research & Innovation is an integrated service at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

Research helps to improve public health and patient care – it’s the way we improve treatments in the NHS and make a real difference to people’s lives. Our Research and Innovation department is recognised nationally and internationally as a leading centre for clinical trials and other studies, with more than 500 projects carried out here each year. Research links closely with clinical care and teaching to ensure patients and their wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do. Our research includes experimental medicine, which looks at the causes of disease, how certain treatments work and whether they are safe, as well as large scale clinical trials which test the effectiveness of new drugs and treatments. It means patients have access to some of the most cutting edge treatments and thousands of them volunteer to take part in our studies each year.. We work closely with the Universities of Manchester and Salford as well as other NHS organisations and also collaborate nationally and internationally with other experts in our fields.

Akhila Augustin, the digital lead nurse in maternity, is our research star of the month at Oldham.She has been pivotal i...
22/10/2026

Akhila Augustin, the digital lead nurse in maternity, is our research star of the month at Oldham.
She has been pivotal in setting up the Starship study at Oldham. She has dedicated time and support to the study, chairing, organising and project tracking the local meeting. She's collaborated closely with the clinical team and the study co-ordinators to make sure everything runs smoothly. Colleagues say she is always happy to see the research delivery team and help with queries. They are truly grateful and appreciate her time and support on the study, which is looking at whether implementing a new pre-eclampsia screening test is better at identifying whether pregnant women are at risk of pre-eclampsia compared to the current NICE screening strategy in place in the UK.
Thank you Akhila!

Salford Royal’s lead renal pharmacist Jude Allen has been appointed to an important role in the UK Kidney Association (...
21/10/2026

Salford Royal’s lead renal pharmacist Jude Allen has been appointed to an important role in the UK Kidney Association (UKKA).
Members of the leading professional body for the UK renal community chose her as the multi-professional team (MPT) clinical vice president. She will now sit on the UKKA Trustee Board, working closely with professional groups, committees and national partners.
Jude, who has more than 18 years’ experience as a specialist renal pharmacist, collaborates with multidisciplinary colleagues at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and has led on establishing and developing pharmacy-led education and medicines optimisation clinics for patients with complex conditions, including glomerulonephropathies, vasculitis, lupus, polycystic kidney disease, and tuberous sclerosis complex.
She also played a key role in introducing new therapies for IgA nephropathy within the established glomerulonephritis clinic.
The renal team, through the Donal O’Donoghue Renal Research Centre, are particularly active in research and Jude is keen to develop pharmacy’s role in this, having presented posters and sessions at numerous national meetings and conferences.

Out today: the latest publication from the ADAPT-Sepsis study on antibiotic treatment in sepsis, led by Prof Paul Dark ...
21/10/2026

Out today: the latest publication from the ADAPT-Sepsis study on antibiotic treatment in sepsis, led by Prof Paul Dark from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health . Thank you to all the patients and families who generously agreed to take part and all the colleagues involved in this clinical trial across the UK to help progress evidence for adoption in routine care of a simple daily blood test checking procalcitonin.

More than 30 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals have taken up the baton of championing research at NCA.Wit...
20/10/2026

More than 30 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals have taken up the baton of championing research at NCA.

Within our Centre for Clinical and Care Research's new network, they will work to promote and embed research within their clinical service units and clinical groups, signposting colleagues to advice and support and highlighting the essential role of research in evidence-based practice.

They will also build up their professional networks and develop skills to help advance their careers.

Following a successful induction event, the team of research champions is also supporting the rollout of the Self-Assessment of Organisational Readiness Tool (SORT), a structured survey to analyse how ready teams, groups and departments are to get involved in research. This is part of a national strategy from the chief officers for nursing, midwifery and AHPs.

People who survive major trauma can achieve a remarkable rate of recovery when given the right support, according to a n...
19/10/2026

People who survive major trauma can achieve a remarkable rate of recovery when given the right support, according to a new study looking at a pioneering rehabilitation programme developed in response to the needs arising from the Manchester Arena bombing.
The study evaluated the Enhanced Rehabilitation Programme (ERP), which provided intensive, personalised support for survivors who were still struggling with the physical and psychological consequences of their injuries more than a year after the event.
The researchers from The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health , The University of Salford , Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust , found that participants experienced substantial improvements in physical recovery, confidence, fitness, mental wellbeing and overall quality of life.
Survivors described achieving goals they once thought impossible, from walking without aids and reducing pain medication to returning to work, pursuing further education and rebuilding their independence.
NCA Chief Allied Health Professional Victoria Dickens MBE was among the authors of the study. She said: “This study demonstrates the profound difference personalised rehabilitation can make to people recovering from major trauma. Recovery is about more than surviving injury. It is about rebuilding confidence, independence and quality of life. We are proud that NCA colleagues contributed to research that strengthens the evidence for patient-centred rehabilitation services.”

Our latest research stars of the month at Salford Royal Dr Emma Nixon (consultant gastroenterologist) and Jessica Bellam...
16/10/2026

Our latest research stars of the month at Salford Royal Dr Emma Nixon (consultant gastroenterologist) and Jessica Bellamy, Catherine Bonnar and Paulina Bidowaniec (IBD clinical nurse specialists) have done phenomenal work in supporting delivery of the GUSTO trial. They have screened for patients, set up a weekly meeting to discuss eligible patients with the clinical research delivery team, provided patients with information and made sure that follow up appointments were set at times that best supported the patients. They have demonstrated how research can be truly embedded into a service and their enthusiasm towards supporting this trial has been very much appreciated!
They were too busy to get everyone on the photo but here are Paulina and Jessica with their certificates.

A Greater Manchester patient has become the first in Europe to take part in a complex myositis research study – thanks t...
15/10/2026

A Greater Manchester patient has become the first in Europe to take part in a complex myositis research study – thanks to close partnership working through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility (CRF): Manchester.
Colleagues at the NIHR Manchester CRF sites at Salford Royal and Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) worked together to develop a safe and consistent shared care approach for the Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell trial.
As well as recruiting the patient to the study, the teams produced practical local guidance on the key steps required to establish advanced therapy clinical trials, where different elements of the patient pathway are delivered across separate NHS organisations, supported by the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centres (ATTC) Network through Innovate Manchester Advanced Therapy Centre Hub (iMATCH).
At Salford, this work was delivered by principal investigator Prof Hector Chinoy, musculoskeletal research delivery team lead Kathryn Slevin and study coordinator research practitioner Michelle Beswick.

1,000 participants in the Genes & Health study! We're thrilled to share an important milestone for the study, which aims...
13/10/2026

1,000 participants in the Genes & Health study!
We're thrilled to share an important milestone for the study, which aims to improve health in Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. They have high levels of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease and Genes & Health is finding better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat these conditions, and many others, using genetic and health information.
Our community research team recently completed a successful recruitment drive, with 109 new participants across four mosques: Oldham Central Masjid, Cheadle Masjid, Madina Mosque and Islamic Centre, and Jamia Bilal Mosque.
During our visit to Jamia Bilal, we welcomed our 1,000th participant to the study - research practitioner Danyal Mohammad is pictured presenting a certificate of appreciation to Mosque secretary Wasim Iqbal and Imam Tahir Baghdadi.
A huge thank you to all the mosques and community members who continue to support this vital research.

People with MND and their families, healthcare professionals and researchers are invited to the next workshop from the G...
12/10/2026

People with MND and their families, healthcare professionals and researchers are invited to the next workshop from the Greater Manchester MND Research Partnership.
Come along to find out about current studies and help shape future ones.
It's on 23 October (10.30am-1pm) at Sale FC Rugby Club.
MND Association Manchester & District Branch
MND Association
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
My Name'5 Doddie Foundation

"Emily and Sakib's bedside manner is polite, respectful, friendly with humour. Patient hates hospitals but with Emily an...
09/10/2026

"Emily and Sakib's bedside manner is polite, respectful, friendly with humour. Patient hates hospitals but with Emily and Sakib to help guide us, they had him favourably responding."
This is such lovely feedback about Emily and Sakib, two of our research delivery staff at Fairfield General Hospital.
They're part of the team supporting studies into Parkinson's disease - the patient's family said Emily and Sakib also offered a calm welcome/introduction to research, including face to face and liaising by phone. They showed genuine care and interest, with every visit giving warmth and a sense of appreciation.
We're very proud of them - and grateful to all the research participants who take the time to share their feedback.

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