Why is research and innovation important?  

The NHS Constitution pledge to all patients is: “to inform you of research studies in which you may be eligible to participate”. 

Mersey Care is committed to delivering and sustaining quality research which improves care and treatment, contributes to better services and health for people, their carers or our staff. It is one of  Mersey Care’s super six strategic intentions:  

“We will lead world class research and innovation in mental health and wellbeing. We will shorten the time it takes for effective treatment and interventions to reach those patients and service users who would benefit the most.” 

Research helps turn interesting theories into real benefits and is often the only way to develop better treatments and interventions. People receiving care now benefit from research that has already taken place and will continue to benefit from it taking place today and in the future. The NHS has made great progress in developing new treatments but there is still a lot that is unknown. Research can answer questions, fill gaps in knowledge and change the way treatment is delivered. Research results in improved treatment and care for you and your family.​ 

How does Research and Innovation (R&I) work in Mersey Care? 

Mersey Care is introducing a new Target Operating Model for R&I.  

The new Target Operating Model will see the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) become the brand identity and vehicle for Research and Innovation at Mersey Care.

It will enhance our existing R&I infrastructure so we can use our resources more effectively to support the long‑term sustainability of our service. It will also establish clear, transparent functions and processes that reduce duplication and unnecessary variation, enabling us to make the most of our existing expertise and build a strong, credible capability portfolio for commercial partnerships. 

It involves embedding a more commercial focus in all aspects of our Research and Innovation to ensure long term sustainability and integrating patient and public involvement and engagement utilising M-RIC’s established network of public members. We will also design projects, products and systems for efficiency and sustainability, prioritise resources to remain focused on our key objectives and balance governance with operational efficiency streamlining processes and ‘time to trial’. In addition, we will use data resources for commercial partnerships and create a unified approach to research and service improvement through system-wide working towards common goals internally and externally.  

This new approach is supported by our Chief Medical Officer Dr Noir Thomas. 

Find out more about the Target Operating Model by reading this presentation.

The R&I team

We have a dedicated R&I team led by Professor Dan Joyce who is Mersey Care’s R&I Director. 

The team support a range of research activities from genetic studies and questionnaires, to highly complex, randomised controlled trials testing drugs and therapies.​ They can support you with understanding the process and governance around research and service evaluations.  

The team welcome working in partnership from the earliest opportunity in your research or service evaluation journey, you can contact them for discussion and assistance at  Research.department@merseycare.nhs.uk.  

Please note that no statement of intent or agreement to support research studies or bids can be made on the Trust’s behalf unless this has been reviewed and registered via the Trust’s research processes. 

How can I find out more about the Trust’s research processes?

You can read: 

  • Advice for submitting a research project. (insert link).  

  • The Standard Operating Procedure for confirming Capacity and Capability (C&C) to deliver research (insert link).  

The R&I team take the lead reviewing and, where necessary, liaising with clinical and support services to agree capacity before any expression of interest is made or a study is approved. It is important that all approaches for research projects or bids that involve Trust service users, staff, carers or resources are always shared in advance with the R&I team and that support to proceed is obtained in writing. This process is important as all NHS trusts and universities are legally required to follow the UK Policy framework for Health and Social Care Research.  

How can I find out more about the R&I team’s work? 

Find out more about some of the studies the team is involved in on the R&I webpages on the Mersey Care website.  

Mersey Care and the University of Liverpool teamed up in 2023 to create the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC). M-RIC is a groundbreaking research facility based in the Civic Health Innovation Labs at Liverpool Science Park. Its overall aim is to improve future mental health services and treatments 

The Centre brings together academic researchers, healthcare providers, service users, carers and industry to develop and evaluate new treatments and deliver innovative services. 

This includes trialling new drugs and new uses of existing drugs. It also involves researching digital therapies such as apps and artificial intelligence for delivering virtual talking therapies and new ways to support mental wellbeing. 

The aim is to improve mental healthcare by shortening the time it takes to translate research into real benefits for our local communities. 

Find out more about M-RIC at mric.uk.  

You can contact M-RIC using the online form at https://mric.uk/contact-us/.  

Other Mersey Care teams working on Research, Innovation and Improvement 

Mersey Care has several other services and teams that support the delivery of research, innovation and improvement including: 

  • The Global Centre for Research on Mental Health Inequalities - the Centre brings together academics, clinical practitioners, patients, carers and the wider public from all global regions and different research disciplines to advance research, learning, develop expertise, training, and engage and involve communities.  

  • Ashworth Research Centre - a partnership between Ashworth Hospital, Mersey Care and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). It is a forensic-clinical research unit based within Ashworth Hospital and is the only dedicated academic research unit in the UK that is housed within a high secure mental health hospital.  

  • The Life Rooms - offer courses and support services to help people live the best way they can. It is committed to building an evidence base for their work and have an active research community involving staff and service users working side by side.   

  • The Centre for Perfect Care is a diverse set of services (including Clinical Audit, Evidence and Library Services and Quality Improvement) that works collaboratively to support clinical divisions and Trust Wide Support Services to improve quality of care and service delivery in line with the Trust’s ambitions for operational and clinical excellence. The Centre enables innovative, evidence-based practice and supports professional development to contribute to a cycle of continuous improvement. The Centre has developed a simple rules crib sheet to help colleagues understand what sort of support they might need when considering a piece of quality related work