Primary Care Research Team Assessment
The Primary Care Team Assessment (PCRTA) is an assessment scheme for primary care research teams, which focus on individual general practices as the unit of assessment. PCRTA provides both primary care teams and stakeholders (e.g. funding bodies) with a mechanism for acknowledging the quality of research infrastructure against professionally developed and tested standards.
Two levels of assessment are available: practices that have completed assessment will be awarded the title "PCRTA Collaborator Research Practice" or "PCRTA Investigator Led Research Practice".
Collaborator Research Practices
These practices may be relatively new to research, with little or no direct experience of initiating research projects or gaining project or infrastructure funding. Such practices who wish to move forward in relation to research activity, develop research infrastructure and undertake higher quality research would benefit from completing assessment at Collaborator Research Practice level. These practices generally collaborate as part of a learning process, however they may also undertake small independent research projects.
Westmoreland General Practice (Fazakerley)obtained "Collaborator" status after the assessment visit in December 2005.
Investigator Led Research Practice
Investigator Led Research Practices have a significant track record of sound research and evidence of it informing practice and improving the health of local populations. It is therefore aimed at those who are experienced in research within the general practice setting. Practices will have received funding from one or more sources and have the resources and infrastructure to allow for a growth in research activity and dissemination.
Two practices attained this status in 2004: Brownlow Group Practice (central Liverpool) and Aintree Park Group Practice ( Orrel Park)
For further information, contact: www.rcgp.org.uk
Or e-mail Susan Beaton: s.c.beaton@liverpool.ac.uk