November 2022 • PharmaTimes Magazine • 36-37

// PHARMATIMES AWARDS //


Unbelievable site

PharmaTimes Awards ‘Clinical Site’ category winners, Surrey & Sussex Healthcare (SASH) NHS Trust talk about why getting recognised will have a lasting impact

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PharmaTimes Editor John Pinching talks to SASH’s victorious trio – Samantha Clueit, Louise Nimako and Sarah Davies – about what lifting this prestigious award means to them.

What has been the most satisfying aspect of your victory in the site category?
Louise: Being able to showcase our site’s experience and being recognised for it.
Sarah: To feel that our hard work has been recognised, especially during a particularly challenging year.
Samantha: Having what I already know – that our site is a winner – confirmed!

What aspects of your clinical research sets you apart?
Sarah: Collaborative team working! We have great working relationships with our support services and engagement from clinical colleagues.
Samantha: Our great teamwork, feasibility and set-up processes consistently delivers on time and target. Most importantly it reflects our relationships with, and our dedication to, our research participants and patients.
Louise: We are a cohesive team who collaborate well, embedding our SASH values and putting patient experience at the forefront of what we do. We have also developed excellent experience in planning, implementation, delivery and problem-solving.

How has your approach to engagement with patients enabled you to be successful?
Samantha: Know your patients and patient groups – what works for some won’t for others.
Louise: We consider research as part of a patient’s journey of care. Close collaboration with, and integration within, clinical teams enable us to understand the needs of our patients.
Sarah: Being as flexible as possible to participant needs has resulted in important relationships and ultimately supports retention, particularly in long-term follow-up studies.


‘The pandemic was a catalyst for change in research delivery. We had to adjust quickly to some new ways of working’


How did the international pandemic change how you conduct clinical trials?
Louise: The pandemic was a catalyst for change in research delivery. We had to adjust quickly to some new ways of working, such as remote consent. In the long term, this has introduced some flexibility into protocols and trial activities enabling greater choice and opportunities for patients to participate.
Sarah: This led to significant changes in consent processes and how we facilitated our visits. Putting mechanisms in place to ensure direct-to-patient shipment of study medication has enabled our participants to continue their involvement with no break in study treatment.
Samantha: We adapted to ensure our research participants continued to get the treatments and care they needed. It was good to see sponsors keeping certain processes post-pandemic, such as changing in-person visits to virtual.

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Our Clinical Site award winners are joined by Jennifer Harris of the ABPI, NIHR’s Sine Littlewood and host Dr Sarah Jarvis

How much has better communication and the digital era ignited your operation?
Sarah: Electronic health records makes retrieval of medical data a lot more accessible. Smartphone apps have also revolutionised the collecting of patient reported outcome measures and using social media for study promotion has increased research awareness and participation.
Samantha: Ignited? We’ve always been on fire!
Louise: We recognise the benefits in relation to clinical research but also some of the challenges associated with the increase in digital platforms and solutions.

Are patients more likely to get involved in clinical research these days?
Louise: I think it’s about the same although there does seem to be more awareness of research, post-pandemic. Patient motivation is still about what, where, how and who presents the research opportunity to them.
Sarah: Patients surprise you all the time. Their generosity and thinking about the future. There’s certainly a sense of wanting to give something back.

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How do you see the patient/provider dynamic changing over the next few years?
Samantha: I foresee patients being more active in their care and asking HCPs about treatment options, which includes research.
Sarah: Patients being more involved in their care with research being introduced from the beginning as an option in the patient’s care pathway
Louise: A focus on cost and efficiency will cause changes to the provider landscape, which may impact on a site’s ability to deliver certain types of research activity. Platforms such as NIHR’s #BePartofResearch are enabling patients to identify research opportunities themselves and this may influence their provider choice.

What advice would you give future entrants into this category?
Louise: Team selection is key – the three of us all brought something slightly different to the table by virtue of our experience and skill sets, as well as a shared passion for clinical research.
Sarah: Apply! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience with my team and winning gold at the end was just the cherry on top.
Samantha: Go for it, showcase your talents and relish the challenge!


For more information on how to become a PharmaTimes Award candidate,
go to pharmatimes.com/competitions