The Rheumatology Research Unit at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been announced a Winner of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) East of England Celebration Award 2023 for ‘Inclusive Working’.

For this category, nominations were invited for people who have been instrumental in developing a new project or implementing new practice to ensure research is delivered with equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The judges were looking for:

  • Evidence of working to increase inclusivity in NIHR CRN portfolio research
  • Details of how the nominee has gone the extra mile to ensure people from under-served groups can access research opportunities
  • Details of the impact the achievement or contribution has made
  • A clear explanation of how the nominee has contributed to NIHR CRN High Level Objectives within the East of England.

The Celebration Awards 2023 took place on Wednesday 12 July at St Andrew’s Hall (Norwich),

Nomination

The Cambridge team have been working on studies that recognise how different conditions in Rheumatology can affect and respond to treatments in patients from varying ethnic backgrounds. The team have initiated an inclusion audit to evaluate recruitment of patients to identify areas that are particularly underrepresented. They are working to open outreach clinics in these areas of need with a view to recruiting more to the NIHR portfolio studies. They have developed a system that offers small diverse teams of multilingual staff, ensuring patients feel comfortable with the care provided and safe in the research environment.

Award presentation
The award was accepted by Jane Rowlands, Lissamma Titti and Katherine Hodges, and was presented by Prof Ruth Endacott, NIHR Director of Nursing and Midwifery.

About the Celebration Awards 2023
The CRN East of England Celebration Awards 2023 ceremony was held on Wednesday 12 July at St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, and streamed online, providing a fantastic opportunity to recognise the efforts of our research community over the last few years, as well as helped us connect with colleagues across the region.

The Celebration Awards shine a light on the incredible work that has been happening over the past year to deliver NIHR CRN research around the East of England region. They also provide opportunities for research staff to connect and celebrate with colleagues from across our community.

You can watch a recording of the event .