Health services research is something of an unseen force in the NHS. It investigates how healthcare services can best be organised, financed and delivered, and the evidence and knowledge generated lies behind many of the service improvements and policy innovations that have driven change in the NHS to date. Translating the information gained through research into action can be challenging but the insight and opportunities it provides cannot be underestimated, particularly at this key time for the NHS.

This Briefing looks at some of the key issues that challenge NHS clinicians and managers on a daily basis, such as patient safety and cost cutting, and looks at where health services research can be most useful in addressing them.

The Exemplar Programme captured best practice on the delivery of 18 commercial studies adopted to the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio in the North West. The Programme led to a set of recommendations designed to help the clinical research community improve the set up and delivery of research studies in the NHS.

The toolkit contains four tools that can be used to help improve study performance:

• the slide-set - a review of the Exemplar Programme and how you can use findings to improve the performance of your studies in the NHS
• the leaflet - an outline of the Exemplar Programme, its recommendations and future steps
• the letter - highlights the role the Life-science Industry can play in engaging more effectively with the NHS and Clinical Research Network and the impact this can have on the performance of studies. The letter is co-signed by Jonathan Sheffield, Chief Executive of the Clinical Research Network and Dr Allison Jeynes-Ellis, Medical & Innovation Director of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and was distributed through the ABPI, to Industry Medical Directors, in September 2011
• the escalation guide - outlines a recommended route for companies to escalate and resolve study issues
• the study start-up route map - developed independently of the Exemplar Programme, but included in this kit because it addresses one of the key Exemplar recommendations: who does what and when during the life cycle of a Portfolio study. This map will help you understand who is responsible for your study at the various stages of its development.

The COMET Initiative is seeking to encourage the development and use of core outcome sets (COS), in which a standard collection of outcomes would be routinely measured and reported as a minimum in all clinical trials in a specific area. It has launched a new database, making it easier for researchers to identify the most important outcomes. The database includes details of dozens of COS across many areas of health, including arthritis, asthma, maternity care and pain. The work is funded by the MRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research.

The new COMET database will help researchers across the NIHR family and beyond when choosing the outcomes to include in the studies that will establish this evidence base.

The NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre makes training awards to researchers whose work focuses on people and patient-based applied health research.

The NIHR funds research training to build a leading NHS Research Faculty, develop research careers, research leaders and collaborators.

The research must be relevant to the NHS, focused on the current and future needs of patients and the public and expected to have an impact within 5 years of its completion.

There are a large range of awards available: at different levels, to suit different work arrangements, types of NHS staff and career paths.

For more information consult the NIHR TCC website