Co-ordinating rapid research in the time of COVID-19

NIHR ARC West is leading the co-ordination of the local applied research community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early on in the crisis, Associate Professor Jeremy Horwood, an ARC West team lead, was approached by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG). They wanted researchers to do rapid evidence reviews and analysis of routine data to help inform decision-making and to support their strategic response to COVID-19.

Working with ARC Manager Lara Edwards and the ARC West admin team, a pool of over 70 volunteer researchers was quickly assembled to respond to requests for help. The researchers are from across the NIHR infrastructure in the West of England  and the region’s universities, as well as drawing on expertise from other Applied Research Collaborations in other parts of the country. This offer of help has been extended to all CCGs and local authorities across ARC West’s geography.

The reports are published on the ARC West website so that they are available nationally and internationally for others to use in planning their response to COVID-19.

Jeremy said:

“The rapid spread of COVID-19 has meant that the NHS and local authorities have had to quickly adapt their services. To enable them to do this, it is vital that they have access to the best evidence, including from other countries that have successfully responded to the pandemic.

“It’s fantastic that so many researchers from UWE, University of Bristol’s Medical School and the University of Bath have signed up to help with rapid evidence and evaluation support to help inform the local, national and international COVID-19 response.”

The research teams who have responded to the call include:

• NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West), the Universities of Bath, Bristol and the West of England
• NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC), University of Bristol
• Bristol Trials Centre (BTC), University of Bristol
• Bristol Appraisal and Review of Research Group (BARR), University of Bristol
• Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC), University of Bristol
• Centre for Academic Mental Health (CAMH), University of Bristol
• Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England
• Centre for Healthcare Innovation and Improvement, University of Bath
• Centre for Motivation and Health Behaviour Change, University of Bath
• Centre for Public Health and Well Being, University of the West of England
• Centre for Research in Health and Social Care, University of Bristol
• Departments of Psychology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, and Department for Health, University of Bath
• Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI), University of Bristol
• Health Economics Bristol (HEB), University of Bristol
• MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol
• Multi-parameter Evidence Synthesis Research Group (MPES), University of Bristol
• NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol