Summary
A chance to meet and collaborate with colleagues and researchers to improve uptake of research studies.
GPs serving the most deprived areas in Greater Manchester are invited to connect with other health colleagues and researchers at an event in January.
If you are a GP working in a deprived area, or a health inequalities lead within a Primary Care Network (PCN) or Federation (Fed), you can register for the Greater Manchester Inclusive Research Network (GM IRN) GP and Researcher Collaboration event.
The event will be held on Thursday 22 January, 2026, from 10am to 12.30pm, at the Village Hotel Ashton.
The event is free and there’s free parking and a networking lunch included.
It offers an opportunity to learn about funded opportunities to get involved in clinical research, work directly with researchers to co-develop research studies that will improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities, as well as a chance to meet like-minded colleagues.
It’s also a chance to help shape strategy in inclusive primary care research and innovation across Greater Manchester and beyond.
A recent study supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) was published in the British Journal of General Practice and found that research recruitment was lower in practices with more deprived populations.
As a result, there is concern that socioeconomically disadvantaged populations are under-represented in clinical research, which may exacerbate health inequalities.
If this sounds like your practice and you’re interested in redressing the balance, you can learn more at the collaboration event. More information is on the GM IRN website.
The GM IRN is a collaboration led by Manchester Integrative Medical Practice in partnership with the NIHR School for Primary Care Research at the University of Manchester and supported by the NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN).
The latest research opportunities from NIHR include:
Skills for Adolescent WELLbeing (SWELL)
Skills for Adolescent WELLbeing (SWELL) – The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a preventive psychological intervention, involving a weekly online CBT group for adolescents aged 13-19, at elevated risk of depression.
This study will also involve the trial team offering treatment optimisation for parents who are depressed at the start of the trial, as parental depression may reduce the effectiveness of CBT interventions for depression in young people. (Note: the study team are looking for EMIS/OPTUMPractices only)
MEDAL
MEDAL – Acute back pain remains a significant burden to the NHS and society, yet guidance and research evidence on analgesic options for acute back pain do not reflect real life practice and challenges.
The MEDAL trial is looking at patients with acute lower back pain with or without leg pain or sciatica.
This is one of the biggest back pain trials in general practice and the study team would like practices to recruit participants to be randomised to one of six analgesic ladders if prescribed analgesia is indicated.
DaRE2THINK
DaRE2THINK – is an individual-patient, randomised, parallel-group, open-label, event-driven superiority trial with 1:1 allocation to either direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) or no added therapy.
A staged internal pilot programme is incorporated into the design of this Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product (CTIMP).
It will test the hypothesis that DOACs are effective at reducing thromboembolic events and vascular dementia compared to no treatment. Aimed at patients with AF and a low or intermediate expected risk of stroke, it uses a healthcare data approach to reduce the burden on both NHS staff and patients. (Note: this study is open to practices who are registered with CPRD)
A full list of available studies in general practice can be found on the NIHR Primary Care Research Hub. You can also get in touch with the team by emailing: nw.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk
More information about clinical research and the work of NIHR NW RRDN can be found on the PCB website.
