Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Clinical School

Linking research with practice to improve patient outcomes across Somerset
Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Clinical School

The South West Clinical School at Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust exists to promote evidence-based practice and clinically-focused non-medical research that enhances patient care.

A partnership between the Trust and the University of Plymouth, the Clinical School encourages and supports nurses, midwives and other allied health professionals to look at their practice, challenge current thinking, try out new ideas and work out ways to measure what they're doing.

Our objectives are to:

  • increase research capacity, skills, and outputs within nursing, midwifery and allied health professions.
  • facilitate higher academic study, including research
  • assist the transition of registered healthcare professionals to research leadership roles located within clinical settings.

Clinical School Leads

Activities and resources

Annual Clinical School Research conferences.

Workshop series on Writing for Publications (Carol-Ann Regan, Professor Maureen Coombs and Professor Jos Latour).

Workshop series on Psychosomatic and Emotional Intelligence (Leonard Daniels and Professor Jos Latour).
Musgrove Park Hospital Library

Current research studies

Developing and testing a Comfort Intervention for cancer patients receiving RadioTherapy: the CIRT study - Simon Goldsworthy, PhD candidate.

Effectiveness of virtual reality as a relaxation tool in pregnancy: a feasibility randomised controlled trial - Tessa Dean, midwife.


Publications

  • Dight C and Peters H: Sign up to Safety: developing a safety improvement plan. Nursing Management 2015;22(1):20-24.
  • Goldsworthy S, Roe B, McGrail S, Latour JM, Morgan K: Developing and implementing a radiotherapy research activity assessment tool. Radiotherapy and Oncology 2015;115;S397-S398.
  • Goldsworthy S, Mundy K, Latour JM: A focus group consultation round exploring patient experiences of comfort during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice 2016;15(2):143-149.
  • Goldsworthy S, Leslie-Dakers M, Higgins S, Barnes T, Jankowska P, Latour JM: A pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of dual registration image guided radiotherapy in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences 2017;48(4):377-384.
  • Masamba A: Lived experiences of adults with Type 1 Diabetes monitoring their blood glucose by finger pricking.

Professor Jos Latour

From a research point of view, it is fantastic to work clinically with colleagues. We have so many areas where we can make a difference and collaboratively work to improve the care of our patients and their families.

Professor in Clinical Nursing

Find out more about Jos

South West Clinical Schools

The South West Clinical Schools are a collaboration between the University of Plymouth and the NHS, working with nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals at all stages of their clinical and academic development.

Our work with local health services has identified the urgent need to capture improvements in patient and family outcomes, as well as ensure that existing evidence is used to best develop the research led by non-medical health professionals. To meet these needs, we have invested in clinical schools, which are professorial-led centres, in five of our local NHS trusts. The main focus for the clinical schools is to encourage health professionals to look at their practice, challenge current thinking, try out new ideas and work out ways to measure what they're doing.

Find out more about the South West Clinical Schools.