Role of the Sponsor

The role of the sponsor takes on overall responsibility for arrangements being in place to set up, run and report a research project.  For non-commercial research the Sponsor is expected to be the employer of the Chief Investigator. Identifying and addressing areas of design improvement on planned or existing research and ensuring high quality research proposals, protocols and applications are submitted. Confirming that the sponsor site has suitable investigators, research teams and research sites. Ensuring appropriate indemnity or insurance for the study. Implementing patient/participant safety and rights. Assisting with the process for research approval from the research ethics committee and other relevant approval bodies before the research commences.

Role of Chief Investigators

Chief Investigators are the overall lead researcher for the project. To be a Chief Investigator will either need to be an employee of Yeovil District Hospital trust or have an honorary contract with the trust. The Chief Investigator can only undertake research once the sponsor has confirmed that everything is in place for the research to begin.

If you are unsure whether your research is defined as research by the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care research you can use the following decision tool http://www.hra-decisiontools.org.uk/research/ to determine if you require our support.

Once identified as research you can review whether the study will require REC (Research Ethics Committee) approval here http://www.hra-decisiontools.org.uk/ethics/

Current Research

 

 

Previous research

The role of 3D laparoscopic rectal surgery: randomised controlled trial funded by the European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons (EAES)

The study will investigate the hypothesis that using 3D imaging display enhances performance during keyhole surgery for rectal cancer

Verddict 2– Volatile biomarker detection of anastomotic dehiscence in colorectal surgery

The study will investigate whether breath samples from patients after bowel surgery show early evidence of problems before symptoms develop. The study is to enable ongoing single site recruitment to increase numbers.

A pilot randomised controlled trial funded by the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Scheme

This research was aimed to help with the planning of a main study, looking at the feasibility of the methods used including enrolment of patients, assessment of pain and maintenance of blinding of patients to mode of pain relief (hiding the allocation of each patient from participant, surgeon and research team).

A pilot randomised controlled trial funded by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Scheme

The overall aim of the study was to test the feasibility of a definitive large randomised controlled trial by confirming its rationale and piloting all necessary components of that trial. The twin objectives were:

  1. To assess the efficacy of an interval of 12 (rather than 6) weeks between CRT and surgery for the reduction of surgical technical complexity, and therefore surgical errors without any oncological compromise on the MRI.
  2. To test processes and gather information for the planning of a large RCT investigating the impact of the timing of surgery (6 vs 12 weeks) on clinical outcomes following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

The primary aim of this pilot study was to inform a larger study by evaluating the logistics, feasibility and recruitment into a study investigating volatile biomarker analysis after colorectal surgery.