Research Care Coordinator

The Primary Care Research and Care Coordinator is an exciting role combining primary care research coordination with patient care coordination and service development. The post-holder will be based predominantly at St Andrews Medical Practice and will support the development and delivery of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) research portfolio across Barnet and the wider North Thames area.

Working closely with the Barnet Primary Care Research Unit, academic and research teams, GP practices, clinicians, community organisations, care homes and patients, the post-holder will help increase research participation and embed research within everyday primary care. They will support research study set-up and delivery, administration, participant identification and engagement, recruitment activity, data collection, study documentation and communication with participating organisations.

The post-holder will promote research opportunities across primary care and community settings, developing strong relationships with GP practices and other NHS and non-NHS organisations. They will act as a key point of contact for research enquiries and support organisations interested in participating in research. They will work with researchers, clinicians and academic partners to ensure studies are coordinated effectively and that agreed actions and study requirements are progressed within appropriate timescales.

The role will support the identification and engagement of potentially eligible research participants in accordance with study protocols, research governance requirements and appropriate clinical oversight. The post-holder will maintain accurate study records and documentation and will undertake relevant research training, including Good Clinical Practice (GCP), where required.

Alongside the research element of the role, the post-holder will provide additional care coordination capacity within St Andrews Medical Practice. They will support patients to understand and navigate agreed care and service pathways, manage appointments and follow-up actions and access appropriate information and services. They will help patients prepare for and follow up clinical conversations and support access to self-management education, wellbeing services, community resources, social prescribing and appropriate digital healthcare services.

The post-holder will work closely with patients, carers, primary and secondary care, community services, community pharmacy, mental health services, social care, voluntary organisations, care homes and other local providers. They will facilitate effective communication between services and help ensure that agreed actions, referrals, correspondence and follow-up requirements are progressed. Where delays, communication gaps or barriers to care are identified, the post-holder will troubleshoot these where appropriate or escalate them to the relevant clinician, manager or service.

Patient and public engagement will be an important element of the position. The post-holder will support the development of the practice Patient Participation Group and help coordinate patient meetings, educational sessions, awareness events and other engagement activities. They will support the production of patient information, leaflets, posters and digital communications and promote awareness of opportunities for patients and the wider community to participate in research.

The post-holder will help capture patient experience and feedback and use this to inform service development, research engagement and improvements to the patient journey. They will promote inclusive engagement and recognise where patients may require accessible or alternative methods of communication.

The role will contribute to audit, quality improvement, service evaluation and research activity. This will include collecting and maintaining relevant patient, service and research data; supporting audits and written returns; monitoring agreed actions and outcomes; and helping identify themes and opportunities for improvement. The post-holder will contribute to the review and development of systems and processes that strengthen patient access, experience, care coordination and research delivery.

The post-holder will organise and attend relevant practice, research, multidisciplinary and stakeholder meetings. They may coordinate agendas and supporting documentation, accurately record decisions and actions and ensure agreed actions are followed up within required timescales. They will also support practice and research projects from initiation through to delivery, maintaining appropriate documentation, action logs and progress updates.

A key part of the role will be building positive and effective relationships. The post-holder will work with Higher Education Institutions, research networks, GP practices, clinicians, Practice Managers, community organisations, care homes, patients and other stakeholders. They will respond to telephone, email and face-to-face enquiries relating to primary care and community research and ensure complex issues are escalated appropriately.

The role will be embedded within the St Andrews Medical Practice team, providing an opportunity to develop research alongside everyday primary care delivery. The post-holder will contribute to the development of systems and processes that improve research activity, patient engagement, coordination and service delivery and will participate in education, training and sharing good practice with clinical and non-clinical colleagues.

We welcome candidates from a range of professional backgrounds. Applicants may have a clinical background, such as nursing, physician associate or another healthcare profession, but we are equally keen to hear from non-clinical candidates with relevant experience and a strong interest in clinical research, primary care, community health or population health.

Previous clinical research experience is desirable but is not essential. We are particularly interested in candidates with excellent organisational and communication skills, strong attention to detail and the ability to build effective relationships with patients, clinicians, researchers and partner organisations. The successful candidate should be able to manage competing priorities, work independently, use initiative and recognise when matters require escalation or clinical input.

Appropriate training and support will be provided, including research-specific training and Good Clinical Practice where required. The post-holder will be encouraged to identify their learning and development needs and participate in relevant training, education and professional development opportunities.

The successful candidate will be professional, approachable, organised, flexible and self-motivated, with a genuine interest in developing research within primary care and improving patient experience. They will be confident working across organisational boundaries and able to balance research, patient coordination and project responsibilities effectively.

The role is predominantly office-based at St Andrews Medical Practice/Barnet Primary Care Research Unit, Monday to Friday, although flexibility and travel across Barnet may be required to support engagement with GP practices, community services, care homes and other research partners.

The post-holder will be expected to work in accordance with confidentiality, NHS information governance, data protection, research governance and Good Clinical Practice requirements. They must recognise and appropriately escalate concerns relating to patient safety, safeguarding, risk, quality or research governance.

The post-holder will not independently undertake clinical assessment, diagnosis or treatment unless this falls within their own professional registration, competence and an expressly agreed clinical element of the role. Care coordination responsibilities do not replace clinical decision-making, and clinical concerns must be escalated appropriately.

Success in the role will be demonstrated through effective coordination of research study set-up and delivery, increased research engagement and participation, accurate study records and data, effective coordination of practice and patient actions, timely responses to stakeholders and the development of positive working relationships across primary care, research, academic and community partners.