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NHS Direct research

Why research?

There are three key reasons why research is an essential part of the work of NHS Direct.

1. The clinical imperative

NHS Direct delivers a clinical service. Like all health care professionals, those in NHS Direct strive towards providing increasingly effective, efficient, evidence-based services. They may also wish to undertake research that will contribute to their own and others’ clinical practice.

Providing support and a strong understanding of research within NHS Direct will also enforce and maintain a culture of reflective, evidence-based practice.

2. The organisational and business imperative

NHS Direct is a global leader in telephone and digital health care. In order to continue to innovate and develop services that are effective, efficient and meet real needs, NHS Direct is investing in research into telephone and new media health care and health information delivery.

3. The democratic imperative

NHS Direct is a public service, paid for by taxpayers and ultimately accountable to the government for its performance. Trustworthy findings that emerge from robust research are placed in the public domain for discussion and re-use. They are essential for our accountability to the public.

Research in NHS Direct

NHS Direct is actively involved in promoting and collaborating in research studies.

NHS Direct research has:

• high scientific, ethical and financial standards,
• a transparent decision-making process,
• clear allocation of responsibilities, and
• robust monitoring arrangements.

Good management of research is, therefore, essential to ensure that the public can have confidence in, and benefit from, quality research in health and social care.

All research involving NHS staff, facilities, service users, patients, their carers or relatives will have been approved by an independent Research Ethics Committee and reviewed by NHS Direct to ensure appropriateness.