Prof Helen Snooks @Collaborate2016 Professor Helen Snooks was among the guest speakers at Collaborate 2016 conference held 19th October at Swansea University. Collaborate 2016 was dedicated to celebrating and promoting collaborative projects and partnerships across industry, academia, Government, health boards and other organisations in the life science community. Bringing together representatives from across the region and beyond, the event was hosted by the Swansea University Medical School, ARCH Programme Team, ABM and Hywel Dda University Health Boards. Prof Helen Snooks' presentation entitled: 'Collaborating for successful research that makes a difference in the real world'. http://www.primecentre.wales/news.php

1. Collaborating for
success in research
Professor Helen Snooks
Swansea University School of Medicine

2. Collaboration in research about patient and
population health and informatics
• Setting the scene – success in collaborative research
• Example of collaborative project
• Benefits of collaboration
• Challenges in collaboration
• Tips for building collaboration

3. PRIME Centre – a collaboration in primary and emergency
care research
PRIME Centre Wales aims to improve the
health and well being of people in Wales and
internationally through:
•Undertaking high quality research on topics
of national policy priority which contributes to
the evidence base in primary and emergency
care
•Ensuring that research findings are translated
into policy and practice
•£3m over three years (H&CRW)

4. PRIME Centre Wales work packages
1. Long term conditions & co-morbidity
2. Patient centred & prudent healthcare
3. Infections & antimicrobial resistance
4. Screening, prevention & diagnosis in primary care
5. Unscheduled & emergency (including pre-hospital) care
6. Patient safety
7. Oral health & primary dental care

5. Project example: TIER
• Intervention: Protocol for 999 paramedics to assess and refer
patients with low risk TIA direct to specialist clinic in place of
immediate transfer to the ED
• Study design: randomised feasibility study
• Setting: Cwm Taff Health Board area within WAST
• £230,000 (H&CRW RfPPB))

6. Research Team
• Chief Investigator: Nigel Rees (WAST)
• Co-applicants
• Chris Moore (WAST)
• Richard Whitfield (WAST)
• Dick Dewar (Cwm Taff HB)
• Shirley Whitman (PPI)
• Jenna Bulger (SUMS)
• Helen Snooks (SUMS)
• Bridie Evans (SUMS)
• Alison Porter (SUMS)
• Alan Watkins (SUMS)
• Bernadette Sewell (SU SHHS)
• Advisors
• Gary Ford (Oxford Academic Health Science Network)
• Khalid Ali (Brighton and Sussex Medical School)
• Tom Quinn (Kingston and St Georges)

7. Research management
Research Management Group - in Cardiff or Swansea
•All co-applicants
•Local clinicians and managers from:
• WAST – paramedics/clinical team leaders/ambulance control room
• Prince Charles hospital
• Stroke service
• TIA clinic
• A&E
•H&CRW Support centre – research nurses
•Trial management team – trial manager/researcher/research support
officer/administrator
Local implementation meetings – in Cwm Taff
Core Team meetings - Swansea

8. External oversight
Dr Lisa Shaw Stroke Research Group
Institute of Neuroscience and Newcastle
University Institute for Ageing
Chair
Chris Hartley-Sharpe Assistant Director of Operations at London
Ambulance Service
Ambulance Service Clinician
Girvan Burnside Lecturer in Biostatistics
University of Liverpool
Statistician
Jason Kendall Consultant in Emergency Medicine
North Bristol NHS Trust
Southmead Hospital
Clinician
Dr Ranjit Lall
Chair & Statistician Warwick Medical School - Warwick Clinical Trials Unit
Duncan Robertson North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Professor Caroline Watkins University of Central Lancashire
Prof Anthony Rudd
Consultant Stroke Physician
Professor of Stroke Medicine, Kings College, London

9. Benefits of collaboration
• Stronger proposals – increased chance of achieving funding
• Right question(s)
• Relevant perspectives included
• Appropriate skill mix
• Realistic methods
• Convincing plan for implementation
• Stronger projects – increased chance of delivering high quality
research
• Engagement with all stakeholders from outset
• Commitment – ‘buy-in’ from clinicians, managers, academics, service
users throughout process
• Increased likelihood of impact
• Dissemination
• Translation into policy/practice

10. Challenges of collaboration
• Bureaucracy (contracts; ethics; R&D permissions etc)
• Intellectual property
• Interdependency – not in own control
• Delays in chain of delivery
• Cost
• Time
• Effort
• Resources
• Non-delivery aaaaagh!!
• Different perspectives/agendas
• Conflict!!!!

11. Tips for building collaboration
• Key collaborators – how to identify and approach
• Aim high - don’t stay local!
• Work with people that don’t let you down
• Work with the best – with the track record in the topic area/method
• Approach at the right time with clear, succinct, persuasive information
• Working together
• Be honest, trustworthy
• Deliver!
• Maintain high standards
• Make work enjoyable
• Maintain links
• Value and look after your collaborators
• Take collaborations through stages of research and
dissemination
• Build a happy team 