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Research Practitioner

Employer
The Christie NHS FT
Location
Manchester
Salary
£28,407 to £34,581 per annum
Closing date
9 Aug 2024
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An exciting opportunity to work in the Technology Clinical Trials (TCT) team in Digital Cancer Research (DCR). DCR sits at the interface between cancer research and new emerging analytical and digital methodologies. Its goal is to use innovative technologies to improve cancer care: enabling patients to play a more active role in their clinical trial participation by using digital technologies, creating digital tools to allow clinicians to visualise & analyse clinical trial data, and use cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance biomarker discovery & augment clinical trials.

This role combines direct patient contact with administrative aspects of clinical trials to facilitate home monitoring and use of technology by patients. It focuses on empowering patients as co-researchers to use devices in their homes and follow trial protocol to facilitate the formal assessment of this process, including gaining detailed feedback about their experience. It involves administration of the clinical trials, from conception and set-up stages to ongoing data collection according to GCP, ensuring that protocol is followed. There will be communication with a diverse range of clinical teams and administrative staff, sponsors and regulators, university staff and technical staff within the Digital Cancer Research Team. The TCT comprises a PI, project manager and clinical trials coordinator and links to the broader organisational and support structures of the DCR and the ECMT within The Christie.

Main duties of the job

We seek a motivated Research Practitioner to join our dynamic team and support our digital clinical trials and research studies. As a Research Practitioner, this role involves a combination of direct patient care, working as part of the research team to support the safe conduct of technology clinical trials in accordance with Good Clinical Practice, and administrative support for these novel clinical trials.

Responsibilities: Interview, recruit, consent, and support patients and carers.

Maintain accurate patient records.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Job description

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The specific responsibilities will depend on the requirements of each team, but may include:

Management

Provide induction support and training to new and existing clinical trials staff, including development of training sessions and guidance documents.

Encourage the sharing of best practice and dissemination of information through regular structured meetings with all trials administration staff.

Assist with metric tracking for performance indicators including mandatory training requirements, divisional key performance indicators (i.e. time to recruiting first patient from NHS permission, patient recruitment to time and target), amendment timelines and divisional absences.

Clinical Research Co-ordination/ Data Management

Interview, recruit, take informed consent and support patients and carers in non-treatment clinical trials/studies. This involves educating patients on the trials involved, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of taking part in non-treatment trials, whilst remaining unbiased at all times. Assess patients as required by trial protocols.

Maintain adequate patient records and ensure all relevant information is documented in the patients medical and nursing notes.

Provide continuity of care for patients and their carers throughout the trial programme. Provide non-clinical advice and support as appropriate. Ensure the provision of optimal patient care by alerting appropriate clinical colleagues when referral to other members of the MDT may be required.

Act as a key point of contact with the R& D core team, study sponsors, clinical research organisations and specific research teams.

Co-ordinate feasibility activities for new studies under direction from Clinical research Nurse Team Leaders and Principal Investigators

Manage the set up and initiation of allocated clinical trials within assigned Clinical

research Teams.

Understand and deliver protocols in accordance with regulatory requirements

Financial management of study set-up costs and income recovery for assigned clinical trials in conjunction with the R& D Business Planning and Finance teams with oversight from the Clinical Research Nurse Team Leaders/ Senior Clinical Research Nurses.

Oversee maintenance of investigator site files and essential documentation in accordance with ICH-GCP and Trust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure they are kept inspection ready at all times.

Assist with preparation for audit and inspections within assigned teams and implementation of action plans.

Understand the process for obtaining NHS permissions (R& D approval) for conducting clinical trials at site. As project lead, ensure permissions are in place prior to any patient recruitment.

Ensure all clinical trial activities are recorded in appropriate systems in a timely manner.

Awareness of trial specific, regional and national targets. Identify and implement strategies for recruiting patients to clinical trials ensuring that targets for patient recruitment are delivered.

Arrange and facilitate clinical trial related meetings.

Undertake general administrative tasks as delegated by managerial representatives from the R& D division to contribute to the smooth running of the patient recruitment teams.

Implement and coordinate reporting mechanisms to ensure that research staff complete and return proformas containing up-dated information on patients included in the study.

Oversee and complete case report forms and participate in monitoring visits as per sponsor requirements.

Ensure that data is available and up to date for any meetings related to the trial/ study, producing minutes as required.

Attend project related meetings, investigator meetings (abroad or teleconferences, as necessary) to convey the relevant information to the study team.

Attend disease-specific research team meetings to maintain an overview of team activity.

Ensure that all documents are archived in the appropriate way by following the Trusts archiving guidelines.

Clinical Service Responsibilities

Demonstrate awareness of divisional and trust strategic objectives including performance indicators and metrics.

Escalation of governance issues impacting on delivery of job purpose.

To act as a primary contact point for the clinical trial patients for define clinical trials and act as adviser to other health care professionals.

Participate in monitoring and audit activities within research team

PERSONAL AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

Maintain professional development whilst evaluating own specialist knowledge with assistance from their assigned line manager to satisfy the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework.

Participate in and deliver Trust-wide education programmes and study days, regional and national meetings and research seminars as appropriate.

PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFORT

Long periods of time spent using keyboard to input information and use of VDU for electronic communication.

Prolonged concentration is regularly required (e.g. when checking through trial documentation and entering data into spreadsheets).

Occasional exposure to distressed circumstances as trial patients are commonly suffering from terminal illnesses.

KEY VALUES
  • Demonstrates the agreed set of values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour


Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Scientific Degree or relevant experience in scientific and medical research


Desirable

  • Post Graduate certificate in Clinical Research or other relevant post graduate qualification/experience
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (ECDL qualification or equivalent)


Experience

Essential

  • Experience in clinical trials administration, data management involving clinical trials or project co-ordination
  • Experience of working within a health care system and within a multidisciplinary clinical team
  • NHS experience


Desirable

  • Collection and processing of bloods
  • Experience working in oncology
  • Experience dealing with queries from patients and their families regarding sensitive issues


Skills

Essential

  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Good oral and written
  • Communication skills
  • IT literate
  • Attention to detail


Desirable

  • Advanced use of spreadsheets
  • Ability to create PowerPoint presentations and other Microsoft office applications
  • Ability and willingness to train in clinical skills


Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of clinical research
  • GCP guidelines/EU directives
  • Knowledge of clinical governance
  • Knowledge of patient information systems


Desirable

  • Knowledge of medical terminology
  • Knowledge of oncology


OTHER

Essential

  • Tactful and diplomatic
  • Flexible
  • Conscientious and hardworking
  • Ability to work unsupervised or as part of a team
  • Ability to work to tight and/or unexpected deadlines


Desirable

  • Evidence of CPD
  • Evidence of achievement under pressure


VALUES

Essential

  • Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours


Employer details

Employer name

The Christie NHS FT

Address

Phase 1 - Q01312

Wilmslow Road

Manchester

M20 4BX

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

413-84961-RI-SD

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