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Job summary

Main area
Clinical Research Practitioner
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (3 x 8:00 - 18:00 & 1 x 8:00 - 17:30 shifts per week)
Job ref
196-RD088
Employer
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Thomas' Hospital
Town
London
Salary
£42,471 - £50,364 P.a inc HCA
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/05/2024 23:59
Interview date
24/05/2024

Employer heading

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust logo

Clinical Research Practitioner - II

NHS AfC: Band 6

Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.

Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions. 

Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.

In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.

We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.

Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.

The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.

We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.



Job overview

Are you an experienced and dynamic clinical research practitioner who can confidently lead our research teams and manage our growing portfolio of vaccine Research? Then this role might be for you!

You will be joining an enthusiastic, friendly, and motivated multidisciplinary team in a dynamic teaching hospital in central London. You will be working across the multiple areas to deliver clinical research to a high standard. The research portfolio consists of COVID-19 research trials looking at treatments, prophylactic and other vaccines. You will work closely with the R&D Lead, Principal Investigators and clinical staff to ensure a safe and high-quality level of care for our patients and their families or carers.

Applicants should have good experience of working within the NHS, a strong clinical background and a desire and willingness to learn & develop others. Candidates must demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and have the ability and initiative to work independently, managing a patient caseload across a variety of research studies.

Main duties of the job

The clinical research practitioner (CRP) will play a key role in ensuring that any research undertaken within the department safeguards the well-being of the patients and is conducted according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP), the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trial) Regulations 2004 and Amended Regulations 2006. In conjunction with the other members of the team, facilitate the production of good quality of research.

The CRP will facilitate and aid in the recruitment of patients to clinical studies and trials which will require working flexibly across the disciplines for a successful outcome. They will also act as a patient advocate providing support and assistance as required and assist in the co-ordination and management of a portfolio of clinical research studies.

Working for our organisation

The Vaccine and Trials research team hosts a portfolio of clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of vaccines, treatments and prophylactics. The team is currently based within the St. Thomas’ hospital Clinical Research Facility and comprises of doctors, research nurses, clinical research practitioners, laboratory workers and administrators. You will complete a range of tasks across our varied portfolio of clinical trials. Individual responsibilities are allocated each week through a rota.

We will provide a comprehensive induction programme and ensure that all staff have tailored, individual personal development plans with support for further training. Opportunities for developing new research/clinical skills are available and actively encouraged. The role will require cross-site working which will entail working in COVID-19 and infectious positive areas and working in the community on occasion as the design of the trials we conduct evolve.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Communication Responsibilities

  • Manage a caseload of participants acting as a professional in ensuring a duty of care to the participant and their families.
  • Work within relevant regulations and ICH GCP (International Conference on Harmonisation and Good Clinical Practice) ensuring that the clinical trial protocol is adhered to at all times.
  • Devise, implement and evaluate strategies for identifying eligible participants for research studies, including by attending clinics, departments, screening notes/consultant referral and Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings.
  • Participate in the informed consent process acting as a resource and support to participants and their families. For appropriate studies take informed consent and ensure on-going consent.
  • Co- ordinate the research participant pathway from screening through to study closure.
  • Maintain adequate participant records and ensure all relevant information is documented in the medical electronic notes or relevant clinical information systems and communicated with clinical teams.
  • Report any adverse events or health concerns which occur whilst the participant is taking part in the study to the appropriate doctor or nurse in a timely manner, and to the appropriate principal or co-investigator.
  • Undertake a range of clinical tasks in line with personal competencies and as stipulated in approved study protocols such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations, questionnaires, urinalysis, weight and height, and report abnormalities or changes appropriately.
  • Perform tasks requiring clinical and laboratory skills, including phlebotomy, venepuncture, biological sample preparation within clinical area and laboratories as stipulated in approved protocols and laboratory manuals as required.
  • Responsible for safe tracking, storage, efficient transport and robust documentation of participants samples.
  • Liaise with the clinical team to organise and ensure that study specific investigations are undertaken according to the protocol, obtain and document the results.
  • Report any side effects or adverse events according to protocol guidelines and within the required timeframe.
  • Act as a patient advocate.
  • Report any deviation from normal practice to senior staff and agree changes in care programme.
  • Deal with concerns raised by participants and visitors in a proactive manner and take remedial action as necessary.
  • Report to the senior clinical research staff any clinical incidences. Assist in managing incidents, accidents and complaints in accordance with Trust Policies.
  • Manage clinical incidents effectively.

Research and Portfolio Management

  •  Assist in the review of research study protocols and identify resource implications for the site.
  • Liaise with study set-up teams to facilitate smooth and effective study set-up.
  • Assist in completing submissions to Research & Development departments.
  • Process amendments and disseminate information to relevant departments.
  • Participate in the collation of data, including performance data.
  • Responsible for accurate and timely completion of Clinical Report Forms (CRFs) and for ensuring that all data queries are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Ensure timely information and reports to reflect recruitment of patients including timely entry to EDGE according to team processes.
  • Actively work to achieve study accrual targets including engaging with the research team and clinical teams to overcome barriers to participant enrolment.
  • Monitor patient recruitment and data collection week by week, reviewing recruitment figures and alerting the lead research staff and Principal Investigators to any problems with recruitment.
  • Organise and facilitate Sponsor meetings and visits, including site qualification, monitoring and close-out, representing the Trust in a professional and positive manner.
  • Ensure that all study documentation is effectively archived as required.
  • Assist in the provision of information to allow for invoices to be raised for payments where appropriate.
  • Create and maintain invoice tracking for each study in conjunction with clinical team, according to team processes as required.
  • Build strong professional relationships with other departments in order to promote a good working environment integration of research and open channels of communication.
  • Educate appropriate medical and nursing personnel and departments on portfolio of research studies and protocol specific requirements.
  • Maintain a dialogue of progress with the Clinical Research Matron, Research Manager and research team leads.
  • Participate in the presentation of research findings within the Trust research network.
  • Provide cover when necessary for annual leave, study leave, sick leave.

 Education & Professional Development

  •  Take responsibility for identifying personal training and educational needs within the context of the service and those identified during the appraisal process.
  • Contribute to updating, developing and implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
  • Act in accordance with Health Education England (HEE) Care Certificate framework standards at all times.
  • Undertake an Individual Performance Review annually with your Line Manager.
  • Maintain a record to reflect any training carried out pertaining to the post and ensure direct reports maintain training files.

 

Other responsibilities

 

  • Act always in a manner which, promotes positive working relationships and maintains the professional image of the Trust.
  • Responsibly manage the control of equipment, resources and stock through the adherence of research policies and clinical trials budgets.
  • Actively seek to develop the role to take account of changing requirements of the service
  • Implement and adhere to relevant regulatory requirements related to study conduct.
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues across R&D, NIHR BRC and wider GSTFT to facilitate the achievement of objectives and shared learning.

Person specification

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to deal with complex and sensitive situations
  • Ability to co-ordinate and organise activities in order to deliver study protocol
  • Ability to interpret patient records and extract data accurately
  • Awareness of clinical governance and risk management relevant to the role
Desirable criteria
  • Proficient with basic laboratory skills and able to mentor others

Previous experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant experience in clinical research delivery
  • Experience managing complex projects
Desirable criteria
  • Experience within speciality
  • Line management experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree in life sciences or related field or equivalent theoretical knowledge
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • GCP certificate
  • Post graduate diploma or equivalent theoretical knowledge relevant to field
Desirable criteria
  • ILS certificate

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Timewise helps businesses to attract and develop the best talent through flexible working.Care quality commission - GoodDisability confident employer

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Teresa Crowley
Job title
Education Lead
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02071884700
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