The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Delivery Network plays a vital role in advancing research across the NHS, including primary care settings. Click here to find out more.

The James Lind Alliance is a non-profit making initative that brings together patients and clinicians to identify and establish key research priorities, particularly in the area of cardiovascular disease. Full details can be found on there website here. 

These are several key publications that highlight the need to increase the number of clinical academics, particularly within primary care. Take a look at the below: 

• The Academy of Medical Science - Building clinical academic capacity and the allocation of resources across academic specialties
• Medical Research Council - Clinical researchers in the UK: reversing the decline

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) is dedicated to helping researchers design impactful studies and apply for funding to bring their projects to life. Their website provides support on how to develop applications for national, peer-reviewed research programmes. For further information, please click here. 

Key funders supporting cardiovascular research include the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the British Heart Foundation. Full details about what they fund can be found on their website. 

The NIHR Academy offers funding opportunities to support primary care team members across disciplines to conduct essential research. It also provides training and support to health and care researchers at all stages of their careers. 

At the PCCS 8th Annual Conference 2025, Prof Derek Connolly gave us an overview of "What's new in research": 

Prof Clare Taylor, Professor of General Practice at the University of Birmingham, presented at the PCCS 5th Spring Conference on "Research: Evidence into Practice": 

The British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellance (BHF CRC) offers a wide range of resources and services to help support you at every stage of your research journey, from early-stage project development through to collaboration and public engagement. Whether you are looking for funding opportunities, expert consultation, or a platform to connect with like-minded researchers, there is something here for everyone. Below is an overview of what is available to you:

• Research Development Fund (RDF) – A small grant to support early-stage research projects. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/researchdevelopmentfund/
• CoNNeCT Cardiology Programme – A dedicated online platform designed to support cardiologists in training to participate in multi-centre research projects. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/connect-cardiology-a-collaborative-nationwide-network-of-cardiologists-in-training/
• Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement – A coordinated approach to PPIE, connecting researchers with patient and public advisors, based on the expertise and characteristics they seek. We achieve this via our diverse network of patient-focused organisations and a dedicated online space for patients and public members to connect with research involvement opportunities. Our support also extends to facilitating introductions and enabling connections with PPI. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/our-network/
• Research Group (RG) Coordination and Collaboration – Provision of an online Microsoft Teams platform and coordination services to facilitate consistent research group engagement and collaboration, as well as access to a well-equipped meeting room ideal for face-to-face and hybrid meetings. For enquiries, please contact enquiries@bhfcrc.org
• Research Development Support – We create and facilitate surveys, partner meetings and stakeholder events for researchers. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/shaping-the-future-of-congenital-heart-disease-research/
• CTU Packages – We facilitate and fund up to four hours of consultation with expert Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) across the UK. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/clinical-trials-units/clinical-trials-units-ctu-consultancy-packages/
• BHF CRC National Research Collaboration Database – An online space linking clinicians, academics, patients, funders and specialist industry partners to support wider participation in research. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/bhf-crc-national-clinical-research-database-patients-and-public-researchers/
• Priority Setting – We provide essential support for the planning and delivery of priority-setting projects, including infrastructure, administrative support and networking. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/deciding-the-top-10-research-questions-for-hypertension/
• Hosting educational podcasts and webinars - We collaborate with leading organisations to enhance research education and development. Find out more here: https://bhfcrc.org/soopr-podcast/ and here: https://bhfcrc.org/cardiowebinar/

PCCS is supporting the University of Birmingham to carry out a heart failure diagnosis audit in primary care. The format is similar to the National Cancer Diagnosis Audit and uses a simple survey to ask about symptoms, tests, diagnosis and treatment for patients diagnosed with heart failure in the last year.

Each survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete, and we would ask you to do up to five surveys in total. You will receive a £25 ‘Love2Shop voucher’ for every survey completed. If you would be interested in taking part, please enter your details here:

Heart Failure Audit Interest Survey

The University of Birmingham has received funding from Bayer to carry out this audit. Bayer were not involved in the development of the audit, content or the arrangements.

Aim of the Study

This study aims to explore awareness and understanding of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, among South Asian adults living in the UK.

What does participation involve?

Participants will be asked to complete an online questionnaire which will take approximately 10–15 minutes.

Who can take part?

Adults aged 18 years and over living in the UK. No medical diagnosis or prior knowledge is required.

Survey Link

More Information

Ethical Approval 

We want to share information about an important new clinical trial that could benefit people living with both heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

The CRAAFT-HF study,  funded by the British Heart Foundation, is evaluating whether early catheter ablation improves outcomes in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation. We're powered to detect changes in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular hospitalisation, and quality of life with planned enrolment of 1,200 participants.

The trial is now actively recruiting across UK and international sites.

We need your support to:

• Refer potentially eligible patients to existing sites
• Share information through your professional networks

Eligibility criteria:

• Diagnosed heart failure (LVEF <50%)
• Paroxysmal or persistent AF (≤3 years)
• Recent symptoms or hospitalisation

This is real-world, pragmatic research comparing catheter ablation (cryo, RF or PFA) vs optimal medical therapy—designed to generate definitive, generalisable evidence for clinical practice.

For patient referrals, site enquiries, or more information: craaft-hf-cvctu@qmul.ac.uk or craaft-hf.mailchimpsites.com

Thank you for helping us answer one of the most important questions in cardiovascular care.

PCCS is supporting promotion of the PREG HEART Study, a UK wide, NIHR BHF-supported research initiative establishing a national, longitudinal platform to better understand heart disease in pregnancy. Heart disease remains the leading cause of serious illness and death for pregnant women in the UK, yet maternal cardiovascular health is significantly under researched. The study is open to women who are currently pregnant or who have been pregnant in the past and were diagnosed with heart disease before, during, or up to six months after pregnancy, as well as pregnant women without heart disease. Participation involves completing a short online consent form and an annual health survey, helping to improve future care and outcomes for women.

Find out more and share with your networks at: https://thehearthive.org/preg-heart

The British Heart Foundation needs healthcare professionals' insights to shape how the British Heart Foundation supports patients, the public, and the nation's cardiovascular health.

We are inviting any health professional (doctor, nurse, allied health professional, in community or specialist care) to complete a short 10 minute survey to share their views.

Your expertise will help inform BHF's future health strategy and ensure our work reflects the needs of those delivering and receiving care. It will be used alongside insights from patients and the public that we are seeking separately.

Thank you for your time and expertise.

We would be very grateful if you would share with your networks.

🔗 Link to the survey: https://lnkd.in/e4tgGjKp
📅 Closing date: 17 July 2026
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