The LHP Health Care Worker (HCW) Research Framework is a single streamlined process for the delivery of HCW research studies within the LHP region within community/primary care and secondary care settings.

Background

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic is testing UK clinical and health care organisations, our workforce and our communities. Health Care Workers (HCW) have accounted for 4% of cases in China and 8% in Italy. The rate in the UK is unknown but as of 22 April 2020, 106 healthcare workers have died of COVID-19 in the UK, 0.5% of all COVID-19 related deaths with a disproportionate number of BAME staff.

NIHR Urgent Public Health (UPH) studies in HCW prevention strategies including prophylaxis and vaccination are in development, but HCW mental health has also been identified as an area of concern and area of need for research and interventions.

HCW infections and deaths have occurred across Merseyside and this is something that LHP and our members are keen to address by ensuring equity of access to research for staff across the LHP footprint in both community and hospital settings is vital. However, delivery of HCW studies must be done in a way that does not compromise the delivery of patient-focused research.

Health Care Worker Research Studies

LHP HCW Research Framework provides the infrastructure to support the efficient set-up and delivery, across multiple sites, of National NIHR Urgent Public Health (UPH) and non-UPH studies (commercial and non-commercial) and locally strategic important LHP research studies focused on health care workers across the LHP footprint.

HCW research portfolio will include but not be restricted to:

• Prevention studies (prophylaxis, vaccination)
• Diagnostic and Immunological studies
• Mental Health studies

LHP Health Care Worker Model

LHP HCW Research Framework uses a ‘Hub and Spoke model’:

• Single LHP NHS Trust acts as the host and is the main point of contact for the Sponsor.
• Each LHP NHS Trust/sites will set-up and deliver HCW research studies within a dedicated LHP HCW clinic which will run on a weekly basis.

LHP Health Care Worker Clinics

• Each of the LHP NHS Trust Organisations will have a dedicated LHP HCW Clinic which will be run
  by a HCW Research Team consisting of PI, Research Nurses and research coordinating team.
• Health care workers on the LHP patch may be able to attend any of the LHP HCW clinics within
  the LHP region.
• Recruitment and Follow-up for all studies will be coordinated through the LHP HCW clinics.

Benefits

Sponsor:

• Single point of contact for study set-up and contract negotiation.
• Hub and spoke model ensures rapid and efficient set up and delivery of HCW studies across
  multiple LHP sites.
• Access to large numbers of Health Care Workers across the LHP region which will allow for recruitment to ‘time to target’.

Health Care Worker:

• Access to a portfolio of HCW research studies.
• Attend a LHP HCW Clinic local to where they practice.
• HCW study recruitment, visits and follow-ups all completed within the HCW clinics therefore ease
  of access during working hours.

LHP HCW Research Studies

First study to open under the HCW Research Framework

COVID IMMUNITY STUDY ‘SIREN’ SET TO GET UNDERWAY WITHIN LIVERPOOL HEALTH PARTNERS NHS TRUST ORGANISATIONS WITHIN LHP, LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (LUHFT), CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER CENTRE (CCC) and ALDER HEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (AH) WILL BE OPENING TO THE SIREN STUDY SOON.

SIREN – SARS-COV2 immunity and reinfection evaluation observational study looking at the impact of detectable anti-SARS-COV2 antibody on the incidence of COVID-19 in healthcare workers (IRAS-Number: 284460; CPMS-ID: 45906; NIHR UPH Study)

Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Sponsor: Public Health England

CI: Dr Susan Hopkins

All NHS staff who deliver care to patients can participate in the study and are being asked to have a nose and throat swab every other week in order to detect mild cases or cases who do not have symptoms. The study we will provide important information to help understand the future impact of COVID-19 on the population.

Information on how to participate in SIREN and other LHP participating sites will follow soon.