Our Research Team is here to promote and support research across Leeds Community Healthcare Trust to benefit our services and patients.

Research helps us to provide better care now and in the future by developing and testing new treatments and increasing our knowledge. It helps our services provide safe and effective care for our patients as efficiently as possible. Research that is based within our local communities is important for finding better ways of providing care to our patients in Leeds and supporting a healthier community in the future.

At Leeds Community Healthcare Trust we are proud to support, deliver and lead different types of research activity – these range from interview studies to randomised controlled trials. LCH staff in all job roles and pay grades can become involved with research and we aim to keep increasing the number of research opportunities for our patients to take part in.

Some of the research we have supported recently include studies for

• children and adolescents with mental health problems, cerebral palsy, or eating disorders
• adults who have had strokes or brain injuries, or who have problems with their feet, joints, muscles or spine, or breathing or swallowing problems, diabetes or other long-term conditions
• older people with frailty or dementia

Our research team aims to:

• oversee management and governance of our research activity
• provide guidance and support to LCH staff and clinical teams
• support existing research and enable new research activity
• build and strengthen links between our clinical teams and relevant academic research teams and other research organisations
• support staff to develop research skills and knowledge
• advise on implementation of the Trusts’ Research Strategy

Our research team can be contacted via email at: lcht.lch.research@nhs.net