We have been a member of the Eastern Primary Care Research Network (PCRN) since 2014. We are approved for research by the Royal College of General Practitioners.

The PCRN is part of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research network and is funded by the Department of Health.

Our surgery is research active

All NHS organisations are expected to participate and support health and care research.

Conducting high quality clinical research helps us to keep improving NHS care by finding out which treatments work best.

If you are asked about taking part in research, usually someone in the surgery research team will contact you. People in the surgery research team may look at your health records to check whether you are suitable to take part in a research study, before asking you whether you are interested or sending you a letter on behalf of the researcher.

For more information about how your information may be used in research and your rights, please visit www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients

Participation in research is entirely voluntary and you have the right to say “no”.

Nobody will put pressure on you to take part in research if you do not wish to. You do not have to give a reason if you decide not to take part.

Your care and relationship with your doctor or nurse will not be affected in any way if you decide not to take part in research study.

Docmail

Orchard Surgery uses a data processing company called Docmail to handle some mailings to patients including possible research studies. This is permissible under guidance from both the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Department of Health (DoH) subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018.

For more information, please speak to a member of staff or visit www.docmail.co.uk.