An NHS research study looking into the rehabilitation of knee replacement patients across Dorset has won a prestigious award, thanks to the collaborative work of Dorset County Hospital and Dorset HealthCare.
NHS research teams from the two organisations were presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award at a ceremony hosted by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Wessex last week.
Dorset County Hospital and Dorset HealthCare developed a groundbreaking way of running a study together which has proved extremely successful.
The CORKA trial – COmmunity based Rehabilitation after Knee Arthroplasty – compared hospital based rehabilitation with rehab in patients’ own homes and is a national trial led by Oxford University.
Dr Zoe Sheppard, DCH Head of Research, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the CORKA Team won the special award of the night to recognise all their hard work.
“The collaboration with Dorset HealthCare has indeed been an ‘outstanding achievement’ and I hope that it is the beginning of many more fruitful collaborations. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved.”
Dr Ciaran Newell, Eating Disorders Consultant Nurse and Facilitator of Research and Development at Dorset HealthCare, said: “We are delighted to have won this award with our colleagues at Dorset County Hospital.
“Patients in Dorset have been able to access this innovative research study, which they could not have done separately, and the team has also benefitted from the training and skill development which is now part of their everyday practice.
“I hope that this represents the start of many more collaborations to bring research to the population of Dorset which otherwise could not happen.”
Rebecca McKay, Chief Operating Officer of NIHR CRN Wessex, said: “The CRN Wessex awards ceremony is a great opportunity to acknowledge the very diverse and exciting research that is taking place across Wessex every day.
“The Network were impressed with the innovative and collaborative approach taken by Dorset HealthCare and Dorset County Hospital and would like to send our congratulations to them on receipt of this award.”
Now in their second year, the NIHR CRN Wessex Awards are designed to offer much-deserved recognition for the Wessex research community who continue to improve patient care through research.
