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Welcome to the Mersey Primary Care R&D Consortium Website

Director: Professor Mark Gabbay MD  Head of Division of Primary Care Academic Lead
 

What is the Consortium?

The Consortium is a primary care research network that initially received Department of Health Budget 1 funding in 1999. It began as a partnership between the department of Primary care, at the University of Liverpool and nine primary care practices covering a geographical area from Southport through Sefton and Liverpool to South Cheshire. The Consortium has now expanded with 2 new practices. These practices serve a patient population in excess of 110,000 with socio - economic backgrounds ranging from deprived inner city areas to affluent rural communities.

To date, we have received £2,315,996 funding from the Department of Health and have reduced funding until 2009.  There is an indicative agreement value in 2007/08 of £176,000 and in 2008/09 of £56,000.

We lead three major programmes of research:

• Mental Health in Primary Care

Academic Lead: Professor Christopher Dowrick
Clinical Lead : Dr. Dianne Exley (Brownlow General Practice)

• CHD Across the Interfaces

Academic Leads : Professor Mari Lloyd Williams, Dr. Paula Hodgson
Clinical Lead : Dr. Siobhan McQuillan (Westmoreland General Practice)

• E-Health

Academic Lead : Professor Mark Gabbay
Clinical Lead : Dr Anil Bose ( Aintree Park group Practice)

These three well established programmes of research have been consistently rated STRONG by the Department of Health (with CHD rated moderate in 2004) and intentionally cover the full spectrum of research levels, ranging form preliminary pilot studies to mid-level research projects to substantive, externally funded MRC/ERSC projects. We have a well developed network of research partners in primary, secondary and tertiary care, other academic institutions and other health service organisations both nationally and internationally.

The Consortium aims to produce high quality research that is highly relevant to the interests and needs of our consumers, and to the priorities and needs identified nationally by the NHS. To date we have produced over 150 peer reviewed publications and obtained in excess of £510, 689.00 external funding. We have recently developed a collaborative relationship with regard to research management and governance with the Liverpool and Sefton Research Management and Governance Collaborative.

A multi-disciplinary group, The Consortium Executive group, oversees the functioning of the Consortium while an external Consortium Steering Group, maintains an overview of the structure and function of the Consortium. We have a core research and management team and a wide number of affiliated researchers. Further details of these structures and our current programmes.

Invitation to bid

Call for Research Proposals for pilot/feasibility studies