Events and Conferences

Patient and public engagement events

2025

Launch of Inclusivity checklist at Royal College of Surgeons, London, 9 April

The National Trials Programme launched their Inclusivity Checklist at a face to face event at the Royal College of Surgeons, London.  The audience was a mixture of patients, clinicians and researchers who were kept engaged by the varied programme with contributions from both patient members and our key speakers who discussed the importance of patient involvement and the inclusion of under-served communities in research. 

Our keynote and guest speakers

• Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director, British Heart Foundation
• Dr Esther Mukuka, NIHR Head of Research Inclusion
• Ms Samantha Dias, Patient Representative
• Mr Ganesh Sathyamoorthy, Assistant Director for Partnerships and Business Development and Deputy Director Ethnicity & Health Unit, Imperial College London

SCTS Annual Meeting, ICC, Edinburgh, 16-18 March

The National Trials Programme attended the SCTS Annual Meeting at ICC, Edinburgh.

Our team, Ann Cheng, Robert Grant and Claire Smith did a fantastic job promoting our current trial portfolio to attendees.  Visitors to the stand included Sarah Murray, Chair of the Trials Programme National PPI Group who attended to support the "patient voice" in research and Professor Dumbor Ngaage and his team who stopped by to talk about their FARSTER-Care trial.

2024

SCTS Annual Meeting, ICC, Wales, 17-19 March

The National Trials Programme attended the SCTS Annual Meeting at ICC, Wales. Our team, Ann Cheng, Robert Grant, Hannah Gilbert and Luke Ingram did a fantastic job manning the stand and promoting current trials to attendees.	Heart Research UK continue to be supportive of our work and we were pleased to welcome their representatives, Sally Spawforth and Elinor Fowler, who were keen to learn more about the funded trials that form part of the Programme.	Sarah Murray, Chair of the National Trials Programme PPI group was pleased to stop by and discuss 'A Trial for Every Patient' with Mahmoud Loubani and how important it is for PPI to be involved in all areas of research where possible.

2023

27 June - Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Target Wound Infection Webinar

When a wound becomes infected after heart surgery, the consequences can be enormous. That is why we have completed a preparatory study investigating which practices reduce the risk of having an infected wound after heart surgery. If you have experience of this, or know someone who does or if you are interested and want to know more, we would like to invite you to an online discussion where we will share our results, ask for feedback, and discuss what we are recommending.

Discussion topics included

• Problems to consider around infections in heart surgery
• What is stopping practices that are known to prevent infection
• Things that could help allow surgery without developing an infection
• Actions that could improve the monitoring of wounds
• The patient as a researcher – what’s stopping this and How can we make this happen

22 June - Shared Decision Making Workshop

The Cardiothoracic Interdisciplinary Research Network and the National Cardiac Surgery Clinical Trials Programme are working to develop a decision support tool for individuals diagnosed with coronary artery disease. It will help individuals affected by coronary artery disease and everyone around them, be it their family or healthcare provider, to make decisions surrounding healthcare, together.

Have you ever experienced a heart attack - are you a patient, carer, or healthcare professional interested in improving the patient journey and experience in those affected by coronary artery disease, if so we are seeking initial input into the tool’s development and invite everyone with an interest in decision making, better communication, and improving quality of life to attend.

Discussion topics included

• Input into the development of Decision Support Tool
• How can the Tool improve communication
• How can the Tool improve Quality of Life

2021

10 May - Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Target Wound Infection Event

• What is a wound infection
• A patient's story
• How do we monitor wound infections after heart surgery
• Can we prevent wound infections