Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Feasibility and Study set-up

-    Contribute to the set-up of research studies within the wider research team.  Liaise with the RIG Professional Services Team, Principal Investigators, support departments, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure a thorough feasibility process.

-    Able to identify and plan strategies for recruiting patients into trials. Working with Principal Investigators to develop initiatives to increase patient involvement. 

Support

-    Assist in the selection and recruitment of participants in compliance with study inclusion / exclusion criteria.  Receive informed consent and provide ongoing information, education and support to clinical trial patients (and their carers).

-    Assist in achieving NIHR High Level Objectives and GHNHSFT Key Performance Indicators for patient recruitment, speed and quality of research

-    Liaise with multi-disciplinary team members to teach and demonstrate procedures for the safe and smooth running of clinical trials and act as a training resource to other members of the clinical team and a contact point in matters concerning trial patients and trial protocols.

-    Ability to line manage, train, supervise and develop junior members of the team, act as a role model.

-    Act as a supervisor for students as applicable to professional registration.

Study Delivery/Monitoring

-    Good knowledge of clinical trials, including, but not limited to: Research Governance Framework, Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Trials.

-    Ensure the safety and wellbeing of clinical trial patients, including safe administration of treatments and drugs that are given within the context of a clinical trial, as applicable to professional registration and Trust POPAM policy.  Reporting of serious adverse events to all relevant personnel, following the relevant Standard Operating Procedures.  Assess patients as required by trial protocols and take appropriate and timely action for patients experiencing adverse events, where appropriate.  

-    Perform trial specific clinical observations and assessments as mandated by trial protocol. Venepuncture, test urine samples and administer treatments for which training has been given, as applicable to professional registration, RIG Standard Operating Procedures and Trust POPAM policy. To be responsible for requesting internal monitoring reports for locally sponsored/hosted studies and actioning as required. Responsible for actioning externally sponsored monitoring reports in a timely manner.

-    Ensure trial protocols are followed and that trials are conducted according to the Research Governance Framework Procedures, RIG Standard Operating Procedures and Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP).

Maintain a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.

-    Comply with Trust policies and guidelines

-    Ensure trial records are accurately maintained, including, but not limited to: records in nursing/medical electronic and paper notes, case report forms and trial site files. Adhere to requirements to protect confidentiality. Maintain study records on EDGE (Clinical Trials IT system).

Other Duties

-    Support the embedding of clinical research within our Trust. Contribute to strategies that inform Trust staff of current clinical trial activity/progress.

-    Respond to change in line with the needs of service provision, working flexibly within the delivery team.

-    Identify own learning needs and proactively seek educational and training opportunities to develop and maintain competency.

Communications and Working Relationships

The post-holder will be expected to communicate with a variety of stakeholders at all levels including but not limited to National Clinical Trials Units, Pharmaceutical companies, and other research Sponsor organisations, Clinical Research Network staff, researchers, support service staff and clinicians both within Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and beyond.

Physical Effort and Working Conditions

-   Travelling between Cheltenham General & Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals. Occasional community or home visits to patients. 

-    50% of time spent working in clinical areas (talking to patients, taking blood, testing urine samples and administering some treatments as applicable).

-    50% of time spent working in an open plan office

-    Physical effort is not strenuous, occasional lifting of boxes of A4 paper, A4 files and similar (up to 5kg), and transporting these to other sites

-    The post involves a combination of sitting, standing and walking

-    There is a regular need to use a computer