A group of research nurses and computing scientists at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have won the regional NHS Parliamentary Awards in recognition of an innovative tool which they have developed to ensure more patients can participate in research trials.
The team were honoured in the Future NHS Award, and will now go forwards as national finalists. The Trial Tracker was nominated by Gill Furniss, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, and has been chosen as regional winners in its category from a record 918 nominations made by 318 MPs across England.
The tracker uses algorithms to automatically match patients into multiple suitable trials simultaneously. This has replaced a lengthy manual process which research nurses had to spend many hours completing. The time saved by the tracker tool has freed up those nurses to focus on supporting those patients who are eligible for a research trial.
The project was supported with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, and has already helped to screen thousands of patients into clinical trials. This includes patients with conditions such as strokes where rapid assessment and early identification of suitable trials is critical to provide them with opportunities to provide them with new treatments that may aid recovery.
Senior Stroke Research Sister for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Emma Richards, who played a key role in the Trial Tracker’s development, said: “We are immensely proud that our pioneering Trial Tracker has been named as a regional finalist in the NHS Parliamentary Awards. The Trial Tracker is a simple-to-use innovation which has made a huge difference to the screening and management of patients into suitable clinical trials, such as those who have had a stroke where there is often a very short time frame to match them into trials due to the need for rapid assessment.”
Gill Furniss, Sheffield MP for Brightside and Hillsborough, said: “I am delighted to see the Trial Tracker team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals win this prestigious award. Their pioneering research is a shining example of the cutting-edge research taking place in Sheffield and will continue to help improve patients’ health outcomes as well as support vital medical trials in the years ahead.”
This is the second consecutive year Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has been represented in the NHS Future Award category in the national finals of the NHS Parliamentary Awards, with the AI cardiac diagnostic tool going on to be named as overall winner last year.
Chief Medical Officer (Development) for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Dr. David Black, said: “We have a proud tradition of pioneering research and innovation, so it’s a privilege to see our teams at the forefront of future NHS care once again. This award is a fantastic testament to the strength of Sheffield’s research ecosystem and how collaboration between scientists and nurses can further drive innovation.”
To view the national shortlist visit: Shortlist - NHS Parliamentary Awards
