Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust Clinical School

Linking research with practice to improve patient outcomes
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust hospital

Our main objectives

  • Deliver high-quality research which supports the needs of the population and workforce in the South West and beyond. 
  • Develop the capacity and capability for research within the workforce to enable evidence-based practice and inform quality improvement activity. 
  • Support the leaders of health and social care professionals to develop their research workforce. 
  • Embed a clear clinical academic career path to assist the transition from undergraduate student to senior research leadership roles. 
  • Influence regional, national, and international decision-making within this arena, resulting in demonstrable impact. 
The Torbay Clinical School is a partnership between the University of Plymouth and the Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust, focused on improving healthcare services and supporting the professional growth of NMAHPs through research and evidence-based practice.

Together developing capacity and capability in research

University
Providing resources and support to NMAHPs in Torbay to engage in research that improves clinical practice and patient outcomes, in alignment with the Torbay NMAHP Research Strategy.
Trust
Delivering and implementing research to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes, in alignment with the Torbay NMAHP Research Strategy.
 
 

Clinical School Leadership Team

 
 
 
 

Research Community

Local Clinical School Activities

Chief Nurse Research Fellowship Programme

2024-2025 Cohort 
Saidi Hamilton, Andrew Deare 
2023-2024 Cohort 
Abdul-Manan Al-Hassan, Lucy Yarnold
2022-2023 Cohort
Rheanne Osben, Jess Mortimore

Collaboration and Partnerships

  •  It is a collaborative effort involving Torbay and South Devon NHS trust and the University of Plymouth.
  • It partners with NHS Trusts and healthcare providers across the region, such as Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, and others to form the Southwest Clinical School.

Focus on Nurses Midwives and Allied Health Professions
  • Allied Health Professions encompass a range of healthcare roles, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitians, radiographers, and paramedics.
  • The Torbay Clinical School aims to support these professionals by providing opportunities for clinical academic education, training, and research locally.

Research and Evidence-Based Practice
  • The Torbay Clinical School promotes research activities that improve clinical practice and patient outcomes.
  • It provides resources and support for NMAHPs to engage in research, often through funding opportunities (TMRF Fellowships), mentorship, and collaborative projects.

Professional Development and Training
  • The Clinical School supports ongoing professional development for AHPs, offering workshops, seminars, and training opportunities aimed at enhancing research skills and leadership.
  • It encourages AHPs to engage in continuous learning and pursue advanced roles in clinical practice and academia.

Improving Patient Care in the Southwest
  • The ultimate goal of the Torbay and South Devon Clinical School is to improve healthcare services in Torbay, and in association with the Southwest Clinical School, across the southwest region by supporting the growth and development of its healthcare workforce.
  • Through research, education, and professional development, the school aims to enhance the quality of care delivered to patients.
 
 
 

Research Successes

Awards
Torbay Research Fellowship Scheme for Nurses Midwives and Allied Health Professionals
This award funded by the Torbay Medical Research Fund supports nursing, allied health professionals and midwives to undertake pre-doctorate and doctorate qualifications (3 pre-doctorate starting from May 2022 and 3 post doctorate starting from May 2022). Date of grant: Nov 21, £300,958
Pre-doctoral Awards
Harriet Hughes, Physio, TMRF, 2019-2020 
Vanessa Kavanagh-Sharp, Podiatrist, TMRF, 2021-2022 
Stephanie Janka-Spurlock, Dementia Education Lead, TMRF, 2021-2022 
Abigail McWhinney, Midwife, TMRF, 2022-2023 
Claire Morgan, Pediatric OT, TMRF, 2023-2024 
Steph Baldock, Midwife Sonographer, TMRF, 2024-2025 
Jen Williams, Podiatrist, NIHR PCAF, 2020
Doctoral Awards
Kathryn Bamforth, Physio, TMRF PhD, 2019-2025 
Corinne Lindsey, Nurse, TMRF PhD, 2020-2025 
Harriet Hughes, Physio, TMRF PhD, 2021-2026
Stephanie Janka-Spurlock, Dementia Education Lead, TMRF PhD, 2022-2027
Abigail McWhinney, Midwife, TMRF PhD, 2023-2028
Justine Tansley, Podiatrist, TMRF PhD, 2024-2029 

Publications

2023
Bamforth, K., Rae, P., Maben, J., Lloyd, H. and Pearce, S., 2023. Perceptions of healthcare professionals’ psychological wellbeing at work and the link to patients’ experiences of care: A scoping review. International journal of nursing studies advances, 5, p.100148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2023.100148
2022
Rapson, R., King, T., Morris, C., Jeffery, R., Mellhuish, J., Stephens, C. and Marsden, J., 2022. Effect of different durations of using a standing frame on the rate of hip migration in children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy: A feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial. Physiotherapy, 116, pp.42-49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2022.01.001
Rapson, R., Latour, J.M., Marsden, J., Hughes, H. and Carter, B., 2022. Defining usual physiotherapy care in ambulant children with cerebral palsy in the United Kingdom: A mixed methods consensus study. Child: Care, Health and Development, 48(5), pp.708-723. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12977

Current research studies

Nurses, midwives & allied health professionals research strategy: Our vision (TSDFT, 2024):
Our vision is to transform our culture and identity, to become a Trust where the quality of care is driven by both the conduct of research and the implementation of evidence-based practice.
Every patient will be offered the chance to either participate in research or receive evidence-based care.
Every member of staff will be engaged in research (using, active in, or leading research), and enabled to participate. 
There will be a ‘golden thread’ of using research in everything we do.

Research Themes and Projects

  •  Improving mobility in children with cerebral palsy  
  •  Improving outcomes after bunion surgery  
  •  Improving dementia care in care settings  
  •  Understanding the intra and interpersonal communication between midwives and women  
  • The assessment and surveillance of fetal growth.  
  • Investigation into the relationship between readiness to self manage and foot ulcer risk  
  • The WELLBEING Study:  Exploring the psychological wellbeing of healthcare professionals  
  • The importance of nursing culture for patient care  
  • Improving social interactions for people living with dementia in an acute hospital setting: An Experienced Based Co Design study  
  • New divisions of labour': the expansion of the role of the midwife to support the delivery of high risk care. An exploration of its impact on safety, identity and autonomy using a case study approach.  
  • A complex intervention to treat diabetic foot ulceration complicated by lower limb oedema.  Creating a NMAHP culture of critical thinking, evidence-based practice and curiosity 
 
 
 

Linking research with practice

Behaviour Enhancement and Ulcer Prevention in Diabetes  

A feasibility study to inform the development of a large scale, multi-site, randomized controlled trial to investigate the clinical effectiveness of a new instant insole solution for people at risk of diabetic neuropathic foot ulceration to instantly modify and optimise plantar pressure. The ultimate aim is to reduce the risk of diabetic foot ulcer (re) occurrence.
 
 
 
Mary Hickson & Susie Pearce
 
 

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.
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