Dedicated research team supports better healthcare access in secured settings
People in prison and other secured settings have a right to the same standard of healthcare that they would expect to receive in the community. This includes having opportunities to access the latest treatment and care innovations by taking part in clinical research projects.
As part of the Trust's expansion of healthcare provision at secured sites in recent months, a dedicated research team is now in place across NHFT's 14 prisons and immigration removal centres.
Funded by the East Midlands Research Delivery Network, the team of three Senior Research Nurses, a Research Nurse and a Clinical Research Practitioner is responsible for connecting service users with treatments that would not otherwise be accessible to them as part of routine care.
Dr Stephen Zingwe, Head of Research and Innovation at NHFT, said: "We're committed to increasing our participation in research as a Trust and the growth of our involvement in secured settings gives us a fantastic opportunity to open up research to even more of our patients."
Dr Caroline Watson, Deputy Medical Director of Specialist and Secured Services at NHFT, added: "Research offers a whole range of benefits, from helping scientists to better understand conditions so they can develop new treatments and preventative measures, to giving participants more of an active role in their health and wellbeing, learning more about their conditions and knowing where to go for support.
"We're delighted to have our new secured services research team in place to bring these opportunities to some of the most vulnerable people in our society."