Recent news of interest
 New dedicated hub resource for Community Nursing Research Strategy for Wales
A new dedicated online hub resource has been launched to support the activities of the Community Nursing Research Strategy Network members at: www.CNRS.Wales
The CNRS Board is Chaired by Joyce Kenkre, Professor of Primary Care at University of South Wales and Associate Director for PRIME Centre Wales, and coordinated by Carolyn Wallace, Reader in Integrated Care at University of South Wales and Lead for cross-cutting theme lead for Social Care research at PRIME Centre Wales.
If you are interested in joining the network to receive updates on relevant community nursing research news, events, and training opportunities, please complete the network sign-up form.
 Traffic light cancer health checks launched in Yorkshire communities
A new health check project designed to improve cancer symptom awareness and help-seeking in Yorkshire’s deprived communities has been launched.
Researchers from PRIME Centre Wales, Cardiff University, funded by a £486,000 award from Yorkshire Cancer Research, are carrying out a trial to find out if an interactive online health check questionnaire can increase early diagnosis in areas of South and West Yorkshire. The research is led by Dr Kate Brain, Reader at Cardiff University School of Medicine and Lead for Screening, Prevention and Diagnosis in primary care research at PRIME Centre Wales.
Early diagnosis can lead to better outcomes, including improved rates of survival. The health checks will also be carried out in similar areas in South Wales. Read more
 Bangor University’s Healthcare Sciences research staff are working with The Wales Cancer Partnership
A number of PRIME Centre Wales Bangor University’s School of Healthcare Sciences research staff in Wrexham are working within the North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research (NWCPCR), on charity-funded cancer research projects.
PRIME Centre Wales funded staff Becki Law and Nafees Din were among the volunteers at an event called ‘Cancer Quest @Techniquest’ on the 30th and 31st October.
The event was organised by the Wales Cancer Partnership, including Tenovus Cancer Care, Macmillan, Cancer Research Wales, Cancer Research UK, and the Wales Cancer Research Centre. Read more
 Professor Joyce Kenkre helps set primary care priorities for Europe
Professor Joyce Kenkre, Professor of Primary Care at University of South Wales and Associate Director of PRIME Centre Wales, appeared at the seventh European Rural Isolated Practitioners Association (EURIPA) health forum in Crete recently to help set the priorities for research.
EURIPA is a representative network organisation founded by family doctors to address the health and wellbeing needs of rural communities and the professional need of those serving them across Europe.
Joyce led a workshop to set the priorities for research and put in place a process for research collaboration across Europe, with 20 countries represented at the forum.
Professor Kenkre is pictured opposite with with the Greek minister for Health Dr. Andreas Xanthos and Professor Christos Lionis of the University of Crete. Read more
 PRIME PISA Patient Safety team welcomes new PhD Student
Dr Jaafer Qasem, a medical doctor from Kuwait, has joined the Patient Safety (PISA) Group at Cardiff University to undertake a PhD focussed on patient safety. Dr Qasem is funded by the Kuwaiti government (or government of the State of Kuwait).
Dr Qasem will explore how countries around the world can share their learning about medical error and healthcare-associated harm to accelerate improvements in patient safety. He joins the PISA Group having recently completed a MSc in Healthcare Management at Swansea University, and prior to this with experience of leading quality improvement in a tertiary orthopedic hospital in Kuwait.
Asked why he chose to study with the PISA Group at Cardiff University, he said: “Having worked as a quality improvement and patient safety physician in Kuwait, I believe the international leadership in quality and safety demonstrated by the PISA Group at Cardiff University will permit me to learn about I can support and work with colleagues back home to improve our ability to generate learning from patient safety incidents.”
He will be supervised by Dr Andrew Carson-Stevens (main supervisor and Patient Safety Research Lead, PRIME Centre Wales), Professor Adrian Edwards (Director, PRIME Centre Wales) and Dr Fiona Wood (Patient Centred Care and Prudent Healthcare co-Lead, PRIME Centre Wales). The PhD will include collaboration with the World Health Organization.
For more information about the PISA Group click here.
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Forthcoming events of interest
 Public lecture: Supporting Children To Get The Best Start in Life
Date: 1st March 2018
Time: 17:30 - 19:30
Venue: Michael Griffith Lecture Theatre, Cardiff University
Early childhood experiences can have an enduring impact upon a child’s long-term health and well-being. Professor Robling will review some recent innovations in the UK aimed at enhancing life chances for both mother and child and in doing so explore the methodological, ethical and policy challenges when trying to establish what works for families. Read more and sign up
 Public lecture: Evolving Clinical Research in Bowel Cancer
Date: 22nd March 2018
Time: 17:30 - 19:30
Venue: Michael Griffith Lecture Theatre, Cardiff University
In this talk, Professor Richard Adams will investigate the evolution of bowel cancer care based upon “best” evidence. He will explore the challenges to future research and delve into the approaches that have the potential to best serve the individual of the future. Read more and book
Health Services Research UK Conference
Date: 26th & 27th March 2018
Venue: Stirling Court Hotel, Stirling FK9 5PH
Call for abstracts
The HSRUK Conference presents the leading edge of health services research. The programme is multidisciplinary and includes research presentations and posters, and plenaries from research and service leaders. Delegates attend from a range of organisations: NHS and social care bodies, patient and citizen groups, universities and research institutes, industry and commercial knowledge consultancy, central and local government and the third sector.
Further information: https://hsruk.org/members/events/hsruk-conference-2018
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Funding opportunities
 Welsh Government & Health and Care Research Wales
The scheme supports capacity building in health and care research by funding high-quality research projects providing robust evidence which addresses the health and care needs of service users, carers and the wider population, and/or the organisation and delivery of efficient and effective services in Wales.
Studentship calls may incorporate topical themes which align with Welsh Government policy priorities, which will be indicated in the call documentation. Where this applies, applicants can apply to the general scheme or specifically to the themed call.
Closing date: 27 March 2018
Yorkshire Cancer Research
Yorkshire Cancer Research is committed to investing £100m in ground breaking research and services, with the ambitious goal of saving 2000 lives a year in Yorkshire by 2025. This year we have allocated £4m to support the 2018 Funding Round and have also committed £6m to support commissioned research which will be available later in the year. Collectively, the synergy of both response-mode funding and commissioning will allow us to make progress on our target of 2000 lives.
The 2018 Funding Round will focus on three areas:
- Early Diagnosis and Cancer Screening
- Cancer Rehabilitation
- Clinical Trials
Preliminary application deadline: 15 March 2018
Further information
 THIS Institute PhD Fellowships
The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute) is seeking applications from universities who will recruit and select high-calibre students to undertake PhD student fellowships. Universities may appoint clinical and non-clinical candidates and should propose up to three projects in the area of improvement research to provide a choice to prospective PhD students. THIS Institute is looking for individuals who can demonstrate that they can deliver the highest standards of research excellence and are driven to apply their skills to studying improvement in healthcare quality and safety.
Alongside disciplines already active in this area (such as, for example, health services research, epidemiology, and social science), they are looking for fresh thinking and contributions from many fields within and beyond healthcare, including, for example, law, business studies, philosophy, engineering and many more.
The requirement will be to show how the proposed research will add to the evidencebase and will be of relevance to the UK health system. Fellowship awards will include a salary/stipend, fees (where applicable) and research expenses.
Deadline for applications: 19 March 2018
Further information: http://www.thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk/fellowships/phd-fellowships/
Application guidance: http://www.thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/THIS-Institute-Fellowships-Guidance-for-PhD-applicants.pdf
 NIHR
Health Technology Assessment Programme
Health Services and Delivery Research Programme
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Job/Studentship opportunities
 MRes: Machine Learning in 3D Wound Care
University of South Wales KESS MRes Studentship USW MINI 21099
Here is an exciting opportunity to apply computerised machine-learning technology to improve the automated clinical assessment of chronic skin wounds and ulcers. This could lead to entirely new approaches in wound diagnosis, management and wound care treatment.
This is a funded MRes, including a generous stipend and tuition fees, with well-resourced circumstances for a successful scholarship. The selected candidate will apply their research and interpersonal skills and ambition to conduct applied research with the University of South Wales and GPC Ltd.
This research project will allow the student to develop transferable knowledge and skills in this most exciting and active field of applied health and wound care research.
Deadline for applications: 4th March 2018
Further information: http://gro.southwales.ac.uk/media/files/documents/2018-02-02/21099_-___FINAL_KESS_Advert_MRes_2018.pdf
 PhD: Factors influencing engagement with emerging technology in colorectal cancer screening and prevention
Cardiff University School of Medicine
Supervisors: Dr Sunil Dolwani. Dr Kate Brain, Dr Kate Lifford
Research question: How are technological advances in bowel cancer screening and risk stratification likely to influence engagement with screening?
Background: Uptake in the bowel cancer screening program in Wales (~54%) is a significant problem. Previous studies suggest that various participant, organisation and test related factors seem to influence screening uptake. These factors include perceptions of risk, test characteristics (e.g. stool disgust), cancer fear, lower awareness of benefit and embarrassment related to symptoms and tests.
Research into blood and stool biomarkers of bowel cancer, markers of risk and technological advances in bowel examination has developed rapidly and mainly focused on comparative efficacy for cancer detection. These new technologies however require systematic investigation of their acceptability, their likelihood of increasing screening uptake and their likelihood of influencing prevention related behaviour. Also, advances in precision medicine in a wider context needs to include the study of the impact of tailoring screening strategies to individual preferences.
Closing date for applications: 28 February 2018
Further information: https://www.findaphd.com/search/projectdetails.aspx?PJID=93293
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Recent publications
Davies F, Wood F, Bullock A, Wallace C, Edwards A. Shifting mindsets: a realist synthesis of evidence from self‐management support training. Medical Education. 2018. DOI: 10.1111/medu.13492
Ahmed H, Farewell D, Jones HM, Francis NA, Paranjothy S, Butler C. Incidence and antibiotic prescribing for clinically diagnosed urinary tract infection in older adults in UK primary care, 2004-2014. PLoS ONE. 2018. 13 (1) , e0190521. 10.1371/journal.pone.0190521
Hendry M, Pasterfield D, Gollins S, Adams R, Evans M, Fiander A, Robling M, Campbell C, Bekkers MJ, Hiscock J, Nafees S, Rose J, Stanley M, Williams O, Makin M, Wilkinson C. Talking about human papillomavirus and cancer: development of consultation guides through lay and professional stakeholder coproduction using qualitative, quantitative and secondary data. BMJ Open 2017;7:e015413. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015413
Smits S, Boivin J, Menon U, Brain K. Influences on anticipated time to ovarian cancer symptom presentation in women at increased risk compared to population risk of ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2017. 17 (1) , 814. 10.1186/s12885-017-3835-y
Snooks H, Bailey-Jones K, Burge-Jones D, Dale J, Davies J, Evans B, Farr A, Fitzsimmons D, Harrison J, Heaven M, Howson H, Hutchings H, John G, Kingston M, Lewis L, Phillips C, Porter A, Sewell B, Warm D, Watkins A, Whitman S, Williams V, Russell IT. PRISMATIC: Predictive risk stratification model: a randomised stepped wedge trial in primary care. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2018 Jan. Health Services and Delivery Research.
 Williams H, Noble S, Kenkre J, Edwards A, Hibbert P, Donaldson L, Carson-Stevens A. Sub-optimal care for patients in the out of hours primary care setting at the end of life: a mixed methods study. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2017;7:A347-A348.
Fairchild R, Broughton D, Morgan MZ. Knowledge of and attitudes to sports drinks of adolescents living in South Wales, UK. British Dental Journal 222(12):931-935 · June 2017
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