Our Aims
The network aims to help in 3 key areas:
1. Provide support for MCRN studies
GMLC staff assist local clinicians in successfully and efficiently setting up and managing MCRN studies. We can help in a number of ways during set up including gaining approvals or contracts, and we can also provide advice and support once the study has started, e.g. planning patient recruitment strategies. More comprehensive information on the services we offer can be found here.
2. Support good clinical practice
Running clinical trials is now extremely regulated since the introduction of UK Trials Regulations in 2004, with good clinical practice in trials now a legal requirement. The network works with local R&D departments to ensure that MCRN studies are managed in accordance with these and other statutory requirements. This includes helping develop audit ready processes (such as standard operating procedures) and training local staff to run trials in the correct way.
More information on the training we offer can be found here.
3. Promote paediatric research in the region
Well designed research studies with clinically relevant questions are the key to influencing the treatments we give children in the NHS. GMLC works alongside R&D departments and other support units such as NIHR Research Design Service for the North West to help local clinicians develop their ideas into fully funded research studies. Studies can then be submitted for MCRN adoption, so that they can benefit from GMLC support and access funding available through the UK Clinical Research Network.
