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

To increase the quality of care to patients and their families, Taunton and Somerset Clinical Schools brings together University academic activities to the heart of the clinical environment.

A collaboration between the University of Plymouth and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, it supports nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacists, clinical psychologists and social care 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
  • facilitate higher degree study, including research
  • assist the transition of registered healthcare professionals to research leadership roles located within clinical settings.

Clinical School Leads

Honorary Clinical School Fellows

  • Simon Goldsworthy, Radiographer
  • Karen Holden, Associate Director of Patient-Centred Care
  • Dr Ralph Hammond, Physiotherapist and Stroke Coordinator – West Somerset

Linking research with practice

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, Professor in Clinical Nursing

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.

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.