In the Spotlight: PRIME Centre Wales

PRIME Centre Wales was funded in 2015 by Health and Care Research Wales and has recently been awarded renewed funding for 2018-20.

The centre aims to improve the health and well-being of people in Wales and beyond by conducting high-quality research on topics of national policy priority in primary, emergency and unscheduled care.

Multidisciplinary teams

The work of PRIME teams involves generating an evidence base for policies, developing interventions and service improvements, and implementing findings across the various relevant disciplines including general practice, community nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social care, emergency, pre-hospital and unscheduled care.

Implementing findings into policy and practice

PRIME works together with its stakeholders including patients, their families and carers, members of the public, health and social care providers, Welsh Government, policymakers, industry, third sector and academics to co-produce research that is translated into policy and practice and gains real-world benefits in health and social care, effectiveness of services and wealth generation.

The Centre has further strengthened its strategic approach to delivering impact and ensuring effective knowledge transfer and mobilisation by appointing a dedicated manager to drive forward and deliver the objectives of its Knowledge Mobilisation and Impact Strategy in 2018/20 (developed in consultation with members of the PRIME SUPER group and Welsh Government).

Public involvement

Public and patient involvement is key to PRIME’s activity – ensuring PRIME addresses the issues most important to the public, and most likely to make the biggest impacts in improving patient care.

During 2017, PRIME Centre Wales established the SUPER group of patients and public members to support development, implementation and dissemination of research linked to PRIME. SUPER stands for Service Users for Primary and Emergency care Research.

PRIME researchers are invited to attend the regular quarterly SUPER meetings and circulate information to members in order to obtain advice and involvement in research activities, particularly research development and dissemination.

SUPER members have also contributed to research development activities and attended conferences and workshops to promote public involvement in research.

PRIME is committed to public and patient involvement in all its research development activities. SUPER is just one route to achieve this. Researchers also use other networks and contacts to recruit people with relevant experience to be involved across the PRIME work packages.

Find out more about PRIME Centre Wales.

This is a shortened version of the full article that features in edition 29 of ReMEDy.

Read the full article