BHF Clinical Research Collaborative (BHF CRC)

Overview

The BHF CRC was launched in June 2019, funded by an award of over £870,000 by the BHF over three years. The collaborative aims to support the prioritisation, planning and delivery of clinical research in heart and circulatory diseases in the UK, by providing the infrastructure to enhance research planning and co-ordination across all of the specialist societies of the BCS.

Specifically, the BHF CRC will help the societies:

1. Identify and prioritise clinical research questions
2. Develop robust and integrated study proposals
3. Engage and mobilise clinicians in conducting clinical research to complete studies effectively
4. Enhance UK cardiovascular clinical research capacity and capability.

To work as part of the BHF CRC, all societies were asked to set up a clinical study group (CSG) for research.

BACPR Involvement

The BACPR established an initial research CSG in October 2019.  The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the CSG were written in early 2020 and can be accessed here. 

Initial CSG members:

• Dr Aynsley Cowie - BACPR Council Member (Co-Opted) & BACPR Past Scientific Officer; Consultant Physiotherapist NHS Ayrshire & Arran (CSG Lead)
• Prof Susan Dawkes - BACPR President; Professor in Cardiovascular Health, Edinburgh Napier University; Honorary Research Consultant, NHS Lothian
• Dr Simon Nichols - BACPR Scientific Officer; Senior Research Fellow – Exercise Physiology, Sheffield Hallam University
• Sally Hinton - BACPR Executive Director; Physiotherapist
• Dr Hasnain Dalal - BACPR Co-opted Council Member (Primary Care); Honorary Clinical Professor, University of Exeter
• Prof Rod Taylor – Chair of Population Research, University of Glasgow; Co-Director of Exeter Clinical Trials Unit, University of Exeter
• Sheona McHale – Past BACPR Council Member;  PhD Student, Edinburgh Napier University; Fitness Instructor
• Frances Divers - Scottish Government Clinical Champion for Cardiac Rehabilitation; Cardiac Nurse Consultant, NHS Lothian
• Sarah Brown – Lay / patient representative BACPR
• Prof Patrick Doherty – BACPR Past President; Chair in Cardiovascular Health, University of York; Director of the BHF National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Dr Jenni Jones – BACPR Past President;  Physiotherapy Lecturer – Brunel University London
• Dr Tom Butler – BACPR Ordinary Officer; Senior lecturer in Nutrition and Health at Edge Hill University

To allow initial work to be established the CSG membership will remain static until the end of 2021, after which time there will be opportunity for BACPR members to join the group.   

In late 2019 the BACPR CSG drafted a protocol detailing a project to identify research priorities within the field of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation.  This has been unable to progress due to the covid-19 pandemic, however the CSG are planning to revise its methodology of this project to enable it to be completed. 

The BHF CRC are also supporting the BACPR CSG to be part of an online collaborative workspace where researchers can connect through efficient communication channels, have access to a simple and secure file structure and the ability to access a one stop hub of information.  Further down the line there are also plans to facilitate training for clinicians who want to engage in research.

For more information on the BHF CRC please click here.