Welcome to the Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Department at NHS Ayrshire & Arran!
We are proud to contribute to the organisation’s strategic vision through research and innovation that:
- improves patient care
- enhances safety
- drives service transformation
The RDI Department is composed of two core teams.
Research Governance
Our governance team ensures all research complies with ethical, legal, and regulatory standards.
They support:
- protocol development
- IRAS submissions
- R&D approvals
Research Nurse Team
Our research nurses facilitate the day-to-day running of clinical trials, ensuring adherence to Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
They support:
- study setup
- recruitment
- data collection
- monitoring
This covers specialties including:
- oncology
- cardiology
- paediatrics
Research nurse support is available to Principal Investigators on selected studies.
Pharmacy Team
Our clinical trials pharmacy team facilitate the day to day running of clinical trials involving investigational medicinal products (IMP’s). We ensure a robust audit trail for the IMP’s covering tasks such as receipt, dispensing, storage and destruction to comply with Good Clinical Practice. We are responsible for the pharmacy set-up process, maintenance of the pharmacy site files and preparation for closure and archiving.
Infrastructure
We operate from our offices at 58 Lister Street, Crosshouse Hospital. We also implement research activities at the Maxwell Suite, a dedicated clinical facility at University Hospital Crosshouse offering infrastructure for research.
It includes:
- consultation rooms
- emergency equipment
- lab access
- administrative support
This space is essential for delivering high-quality research.
Strategic priorities and social determinants of health
Our research is driven by strategic priorities that reflect the health needs of our population:
- Changing demographics and an ageing population
- Shifting care from hospitals to community settings
- Service sustainability and workforce planning
- Health inequalities and social determinants of health
We collaborate with universities, colleges, and community partners to ensure our research is inclusive, impactful, and locally relevant.
The Scottish Health Research Register and Biobank (SHARE)
The Scottish Health Research Register and Biobank (SHARE) is a register of adults and children aged 11 years and over, who:
- are willing to be invited to take part in medical research projects
- have consented to allow researchers to use any leftover blood following routine clinical testing, for approved research
Often, people who want to be involved in medical research (whether they are unwell or healthy) don’t know where to start or who to ask. Researchers have a similar problem. They need people to take part in studies, but sometimes find it difficult to find enough people to take part in them.
Getting involved in research studies can include:
- answering surveys
- having your blood tested
- testing new medical devices and phone apps
- participating in studies
SHARE is for both healthy people and those with medical conditions. With your help, researchers can:
- improve their understanding of diseases
- find new ways to prevent or treat illnesses
- improve future care
You can find out more on the SHARE website, including how to register.
Contact
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact our RDI team:
- Email: randdprojectteam@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
- Phone: 01563 825727
- Address: RDI Department, 58 Lister Street, Crosshouse Hospital