The NI Clinical Research Network (NICRN) undertakes Primary Care research throughout Northern Ireland. The NICRN is part of a UK-wide initiative to provide opportunities for patients and clinicians to participate in high-quality clinical research. Engaging with primary care practitioners and their patients from across all areas of primary care.
The NICRN aims to:
- Promote primary care research within Northern Ireland
- Attract clinical trials in primary care to Northern Ireland
- Conduct clinical trials to the highest standards of quality and safety
- Provide infrastructure to facilitate the start-up of new trials in primary care
- Improve access for patients to cutting-edge treatments
Areas of interest include the following:
- Chronic disease management
- Providing access to novel therapies
- Improving the quality of patient care
- Early diagnosis of disease
- Health promotion and disease prevention
Professor Nigel Hart – General Practice / QUB
Primary Care – Clinical Lead
Nigel Hart is a Belfast General Practitioner with an academic role in Queen’s University. He has been involved in research since he was a trainee, combining clinical and research responsibilities in these roles.
As a GP Partner he undertook the role of PI for a number of CTIMP studies (Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product) in clinical Practice. As an academic he leads on a number of research themes that are situated in and focused on Primary Care.
Prof Hart has provided informal support to the NICRN (Primary Care) group since 2016, formally taking on the co-lead role in January 2020. In the role of co-lead he liaises with the small team of dedicated research nurses and works collaboratively with a diverse group of key stakeholders, research practices and researchers at every stage of the research process.
Prof Hart is committed to the successful participation and contribution of Primary Care and General Practice in Northern Ireland to play its role in the clinical research endeavours of the Northern Ireland community, and to ensure that people in NI have the opportunity to be informed of and to participate in, high quality research.
Contact email: n.hart@qub.ac.uk
