1. A vision for Cheshire and
Mersey CLRN
Dr Liz Mear, CEO| The Walton Neurological Centre, Liverpool

2. North West Coast AHSN
www.nwcahsn.nhs.uk
Dr Liz Mear
CEO, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation
Trust

3. Policy Background
 Key document is “Innovation Health & Wealth”
(DH, December, 2011)
 Premise - the NHS “.. needs a stronger relationship with the
scientific and academic communities and industry to
develop solutions to health care problems and get existing
solutions spread at “pace and scale” in the NHS.”
 Aim - improve healthcare and outcomes for individuals and
populations, and enhance the wealth of the nation

4. Why “pace and scale” matter
 Currently, many new ideas and products that originate in the UK are
developed overseas, where it is quicker and easier to do so.
Disincentive to inventors, entrepreneurs and industry
 This can mean that opportunities to create employment and wealth
for the UK are lost
 Patients who could benefit earlier from treatments do not have an
opportunity to do so
 As a consequence, some people will be unable to work, which will
affect their own material health and wealth, and that of their family
and community

5. Innovation
 Innovation has been defined in many ways
 In the context of “Innovation Health and Wealth”, it refers to
invention and also implementing a proven technology in
clinical practice for the first time, or in a novel clinical context
 Important benefits for patients, populations and the economy
from the delivery of innovations

6. Potential challenges
AHSNs give a simpler and supportive landscape
but……
 Central direction v local determination
 Developing a culture of implementation across
boundaries
 Developing collaboration across regions for
the benefit of residents
 Developing whole pathway and whole system
metrics

7. AHSNs in the North West
 GM AHSN – Greater Manchester, East Cheshire, East
Lancashire (provider only)
 North West Coast (NWC) AHSN – Merseyside and South
Cumbria, most of Cheshire and Lancashire
 North Cumbria is part of North East AHSN

8. Vision for NWC AHSN
 Improving population health by reducing variation and
equalising access to excellent care.
 Promoting a vibrant economy through investment, innovation
and sustainability of employment.

9. Themes & Priorities
 Telemedicine, telehealth and telecare
 Vaccines
 Tropical medicines
 Procurement
 Clinical themes – Cancer, Child and Maternal Health, Cardiac
Health, Stroke, Mental Health and Long Term Conditions

10. 100 Day Plan
 Set up AHSN and populate its structure
 Assess compliance with NICE Technology Appraisals in
collaboration with ABPI and NICE
 Programme of work with SMEs - 4 “meet the experts” events (with
TrusTECH)
 Prepare to deliver iTAPP technologies and 6 HIIs in collaboration
with AQuA
 Establish a delivery plan with levers, incentives and metrics across
all work areas
 Establish key partnerships and „ready to go‟ assets for all our
workstreams

11. Governance & Delivery
Structure
 AHSN Stakeholder Board began meeting in shadow form in November
2012
 Board draws members from across AHSN‟s geographical area and its
interested parties, including academia, commissioning, primary,
secondary and tertiary care, industry and patient representation (two
seats)
 Three Board Committees correspond to the AHSN‟s workstream themes
(Service Improvement Committee, Research, Education, Training
Committee, Wealth Creation Committee)
 AHSN management structure Independent Chair and Deputy Chair, MD
supported by 3 directors and Improvement Managers
 Much of the AHSN‟s work will be achieved through contracts, MOUs,
SLAs etc.

12. Role of the National Institute for
Health Research
 National Institute for Health Research is the
“research arm” of the NHS
 It is the vehicle through which government
invests in health research to drive better
treatments for NHS patients
 The NIHR is the biggest global investor in
comparative health research
 Together, NIHR people, places and systems
represent the world’s most integrated clinical
research system, propelling research from
bench to bedside for patient benefit
 NIHR fund£1 billion of research on a national
basis

13. Comprehensive Local Research
Networks
 Research enhances the care of
patients and the population
 Clinical trials – industry and NHS
 Shortly to change to LCRNs
 One per AHSN footprint
 Will simplify the national research
structure?

14. Purpose / set up of CLRNs
 Reduce the red-tape around setting up a study (Coordinated
Systems for gaining NHS Permission - CSP)
 Enhance NHS resources by funding the additional people (e.g.
research nurses) and facilities needed to support research “on
the ground”
 Advise researchers on how to make their study work in the
NHS, help them to identify suitable NHS sites, and recruit
patients to take part in research studies
 Our motivation: to facilitate effective research delivery and
provide patients with opportunities to participate in research

15. Cheshire and Mersey CLRN
 25 NHS Trusts within the Cheshire and Merseyside
footprint.
 Annual budget of between £10 and £11 million.
 500 research staff integrated into NHS Trusts.
 Promote and deliver Life Sciences research into the
NHS, increasing efficiency (and cost effectiveness)
of delivery.
 Exemplar project in 2011 that demonstrated that the
NHS was equal to, if not better in delivering
pharmaceutical research than other European
competitors.
 Performance is always within the top national
quartile in delivering studies to time and recruitment

16. The Cheshire & Merseyside Comprehensive Local Research Network is
part of the National Institute for Health Research
High Level Objectives 2012/13
1. Double the number of participants recruited into NIHR CRN portfolio studies
2. Increase the proportion of studies in the NIHR CRN portfolio delivering
recruitment to time and target
3. Increase the percentage of commercial studies delivered through the NIHR CRN
4. Reduce the time taken to achieve NHS permission through CSP for NIHR studies
5. Reduce the time taken to recruit first participant into NIHR CRN portfolio studies
6. Increase the percentage of NHS Trusts participating in NIHR CRN portfolio
studies

17. The Cheshire & Merseyside Comprehensive Local Research Network is
part of the Nationa Institute for Health Research
NIHR research networks transition– objectives / plans include:
1. Ensuring a “fit for purpose network structure” for the future
2. Maximise research delivery performance in the context of major change
in health & social care
3. Simplify the structure (102 networks currently)
Aims:
1. Create 15 – Local Clinical Research Networks (currently 25 CLRNs)
2. Responsible for allocating funding across its region
3. LCRN will cover the spectrum of all disease areas
4. National strategic priorities will be protected and supported
5. Operational from April 2014 onwards
The opportunities of change..

18. North West Coast CLRN
 Cheshire, Mersey, South Cumbria and
Lancashire.
 Budget of c £18 million
 Management of research staff, promoting
patient and public engagement in research,
liaison with health commissioners, supporting
governance and quality assurance and
working closely with the Academic Health
Science Network.
 Networking with NHS Trusts and Clinicians
and building capacity in research within the
geographical footprint.

19. North West Coast AHSN
www.nwcahsn.nh
s.uk