Primary care

• 90% of patient contact in the NHS takes place in primary care
• The primary care team is extensive, and multidisciplinary
• Short hospital in-patient stays have led to an increased focus on primary care
• General practices have identifiable lists of patients, providing an important opportunity for high quality primary care-based research
• Researchers within this group have attracted around £17 million of research income since 2004.
• We work closely with colleagues elsewhere within the Medical School, across the University (School of Health and Sport Sciences, Mood Disorders Centre), and more widely within the UK (Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Manchester)
• We collaborate internationally with colleagues in Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Core research projects:

• IMPROVE - an NIHR-funded 5 year program grant. This program grant seeks to increase understanding of the potential and utility of the UK National Patient Survey
• ESTEEM is a major NIHR-funded cluster trial of triage for patients seekign same day appointments in primary care
• Waste the Waist - NIHR (Reseaerch for Patient Benefit) funded research examining alternative approaches to managing obesity in primary care settings

Primary Care Research Network (South West):

Clinical Director: Dr Philip Evans, Senior Clinical Research Fellow in Primary Care
A partnership between the University of Exeter Medical School and colleagues in Plymouth, Bristol, and Southampton.