Case study university: best practice health research collaboration

Dr David Langley & Prof Peter Mathieson

Introductions and background

Dr David Langley Director of Research and Enterprise Development

Prof. Peter Mathieson Dean of Medicine and Dentistry

Summary

• The Bristol context

• Bristol’s challenges

• Bristol’s vision

• How Bristol is responding

• Lessons learned

• Discussion

The Bristol context• 2 Universities

• University of Bristol• University of the West of England

• 4 NHS Trusts• NHS Bristol (& 2 other local PCTs)• University Hospitals Bristol NHS FT• North Bristol NHS Trust• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership

• Strong regional, national and international collaborations

Bristol’s challenges

• Meet local and regional health needs• Build on strong foundation of existing activity

and collaboration• Partner, integrate and respond strategically• Facilitate new ideas and new relationships• Accelerated adoption of research innovations • Increase and enhance links with industry• See our dispersed geography as an asset

But….• University of Bristol Medical School had dreadful

RAE2001 outcome• much improved in RAE2008• Relationship between 2 local HEIs was not ‘tight’• Relationship between NHS partners was

fragmented and little association with HEIs• Little coordination or interaction with research• Yet some great research going on despite this!

How Bristol is responding

• Severnside Alliance for Translational Research (SARTRE)

• Bristol research and Innovation Group for Health (BRIG-H)

• HIEC South West

• AHSC

• Continue to do great research and innovation

SARTRE• Partnership Universities of Cardiff and Bristol,

funded by MRC

• Joint Professor of Practice in Translational Medicine (Lars Sundstrom)

• Merge efforts in translational health research

• A focal point for interactions with the Bio-Pharmaceutical industry

• Successful MRC-DPFS devolved portfolio scheme

BRIG-H• Bristol-wide partnership (4 NHS Trusts, 2 HEIs)

• Decisive, active leadership by Vice-Chancellors and Trust CEOs

• Led by Dean of Medicine, supported by senior colleagues from all 6 organisations

• Integrated strategic approach to research and innovation

• Focused ambitious programme

• Address barriers to effective collaboration

Structure

BRIG-H

• Joint events and symposia such as Bris’10

• Joint appointments – NHS R&D Director

• Regular dialogue at many levels of organisations

• Activities such as cancer strategy sponsored through BRIG-H

• AHSC planning…..

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/fmd/brigh.html

Strategic partnership between:• University of Bristol• University of the West of England • NHS Bristol• University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust • North Bristol NHS Trust• Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

BRIG-H Strategic Aims• To improve the health of people in Bristol, the UK and

beyond through better co-ordination of research, innovation and resources

• To realise the full potential of health-related research and innovation in Bristol through effective partnership working

• To foster excellence in people and infrastructure that impact on health-related research and innovation

• To develop Bristol’s reputation for excellence and promote it nationally and internationally

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HIEC- SW

• A single HIEC for the South West

• Multi-partner organisation

• Promote pan-regional uptake and rapid diffusion of innovation into healthcare

• Measure the improvement in quality

• Develop a multi-professional workforce that is actively engaged in innovation.

AHSC

• Bristol was unsuccessful in ‘official’ DoH AHSC call

• Nevertheless, broad agreement that we need to start to behave like one

• Project has started to realize this aim with all BRIG-H partners

Ongoing challenges• Politics – uncertainties, possibility of merging

NHS Trusts

• Shared ambition – for Bristol and beyond?

• Different drivers and processes – national level

• Delivery – both ‘bottom up’ and ‘top down’

• Stakeholder buy-in - need to see changes soon, not everyone agrees with vision

• Governance – not easy but Leadership driven

• Sustainability - funding and investment

Lessons learned (& in progress!)• Essential first step is convincing partner

organisations (at senior level) that each is not strong enough on its own and that together we can be greater than the sum of the parts

• Money is a powerful motivator!

• Individuals can make or break initiatives

• Frequent frank dialogue is essential

• “Big picture” is best antidote to parochialism

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The opportunity: NIHR funding for clinical research in England

This is a time of unprecedented This is a time of unprecedented opportunity for biomedical opportunity for biomedical

research...research...

...how well-placed are you in ...how well-placed are you in Canterbury to seize the Canterbury to seize the

opportunities?opportunities?

Promoting excellence in health research: Opportunities and challenges

Woburn House Conference Centre, London, WC1H 9HQThursday 11 March 2010

Session 212.00 Discussion groupsDelegates should choose to attend one group from the list below. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and are subject to maximum capacities.•Promoting good conduct in researchJames Parry, Acting Head, UK Research Integrity Office•Making UK teaching hospitals more attractive for research (led by the Medical Schools Council and Association of UK University Hospitals)Professor Chris Day, Pro Vice Chancellor, Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, and Mr Malcolm Lowe-Lauri, Chief Executive, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust•Case study university: best practice health research collaborationDr David Langley, Director, Research and Enterprise Development University of Bristol, and Professor Peter Mathieson, Dean of Medicine, University of BristolImpact and user valueDrs Astrid Wissenburg, Chair, Research Councils UK (RCUK) Knowledge Transfer and Economic Impact Group and Director of Communication and Information ESRC

Session 110.00 Welcome and introduction by Conference Chair Professor Michael Farthing, Chair, Health and Social Care Policy Committee, Universities UK; Vice-Chancellor, University of Sussex10.10 The evolving model of pharmaceutical R&DDr Malcolm Skingle CBE, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)10.30 Making the UK a centre for research excellenceProfessor Dame Sally C. Davies, Director General of Research and Development, Department of Health10.50 The contribution of higher education to the health research agendaProfessor Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton

• Case study university: best practice health research collaborationDr David Langley, Director, Research and Enterprise Development, and Professor Peter Mathieson, Dean of Medicine, University of Bristol

Discussion