Hospital Trust achieves globally-recognised standard for Clinical Research

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has achieved the bronze standard of a globally-recognised accreditation scheme for Clinical Research. 

The Trust, which manages King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals, is the first Trust in the Midlands region to achieve accreditation from IAOCR (the International Accrediting Organisation for Clinical Research).

IAOCR accredits clinical research sites and organisations internationally by independently assessing both people and processes to the highest standards. The achievement shows that Sherwood Forest Hospitals is consistently working to industry-leading global standards of best practice.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals, research is at the forefront of improving patient care and treatments; it is about gathering the evidence to find out 'what works'.

In 2022/23, the Trust exceeded its target by recruiting more than 2,800 patients into research trials. Trials are underway in more than 25 areas, including Respiratory, Oncology and Rheumatology.  

The Trust plans to build on this work by expanding studies into areas not previously involved in research, as well as aligning with the Trust priorities, for example, dementia and ageing.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals selected the Workforce Quality Accreditation (WQA)  assessment and accreditation process to review its way of working and to help guide improvements in processes and practices.

Embedding best practice standards in clinical research ensures that clinical trial participants receive the highest standards of care and protection and experience safe, efficient delivery of clinical trials. It also ensures that staff are competent, motivated, engaged, and have the best possible experience at work.

The independent assessment, which took around three months, provides a benchmark of the highest standards for those working within the organisation to pride themselves on, as well as for potential sponsors who want formal evidence of the workforce standards that are being delivered.

Alison Steel, Head of Research and Innovation at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: "This accreditation is extremely important to us because it provides reassurance that the delivery of a clinical trial and the clinical trial participants are in safe hands.

"Research staff are often the unsung heroes of healthcare and being able to showcase this achievement across the organisation, the region and the wider research industry will help to solidify our position as a clinical trial partner of choice.

"We hope to achieve gold accreditation in the near future."

Sarah Everitt, Vice President Operations, IAOCR, said: "From the outset Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ motivation made them an exemplary working partner. The entire team showed enthusiasm for the process - from all levels of the organisation. This is why their Bronze accreditation is so well deserved and why they are a Trust that others should aspire to replicate in both working standards and ethos.”

To learn more about how Sherwood Forest Hospitals can support clinical trials, please email sfh-tr.researchandinnovation@nhs.net.

If you are a service user you can talk to your clinical care team about the potential of getting involved in a research trial.

For more information on Workforce Quality Accreditation (WQA) assessment and accreditation process, please visit IAOCR website.