Published on: 13 February 2019
A nurse from South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts’ research team is one of a select band of 70 chosen from all over the country to champion research and innovation to drive improvements in future patient care.
Lead Clinical Research Nurse Carly Brown is part of the new, three-year 70@70 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Nurse and Midwife Research Leader Programme.
The 70 successful applicants - all with a record of developing existing practice and working within and contributing to a research-rich environment - will form a new community of senior clinical nurses and midwives. In the course of the three-year programme, they will further promote the embedding of a research active culture, encourage and support innovation, and inform research priorities in their organisations.
Mrs Brown, who is based in South Tyneside, has worked in research for about 10 years. She said: “I am very pleased and proud to have been given this opportunity to contribute further to supporting research, which is key to extending life and improving the quality of life for patients everywhere. It is particularly rewarding when we are able to offer our local patients the chance to be the first to benefit through new trials and to help society through their participation in research.
“Nurses and midwives have so much to contribute and I look forward to playing a part in enabling them to introduce innovations in their practice which will benefit patients in the future.”
Melanie Johnson, Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals for South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “I am delighted that Carly has been given this exciting opportunity to contribute on behalf of our Trusts to the delivery of high quality, evidenced based nursing, midwifery and healthcare practice through the promotion of research.”
Professor Stephen Robson, Clinical Director at NIHR Clinical Research Network North East and North Cumbria (CRN NENC), added: “We're extremely pleased that Carly has been awarded a place on the programme, allowing her to further develop her leadership in research. Through the programme, I am confident she will be able to make further impact and continue to support, champion and promote the fantastic research environment at South Tyneside and Sunderland."
Both South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts have won many awards for their research. In 2018, South Tyneside was a winner in the Medilink Northern Powerhouse Healthcare Business Awards for a North East-led research partnership between the NHS, industry, academic centres and patients which is delivering high quality, world-leading, gastrointestinal endoscopy research. City Hospitals Sunderland’s Research and Innovation team works in close partnership with Quality Hospital Solutions Ltd to attract funding for innovative product development and the partnership has led to the development of several successful, award-winning products and service improvements, including an air flow meter to ensure safe administration of oxygen, significantly enhancing patient safety.
