News

University of Cambridge study becomes the largest randomised atrial fibrillation screening trial ever undertaken

15 April 2025

Over 89,000 participants are taking part in the largest ever randomised clinical trial of screening to detect atrial fibrillation (AF). The SAFER trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is working with 197 GP practices across England to determine whether systematic AF screening can...

Introducing Our Four New ARC Early-Career Clinical Academic Nurse Fellows

9 April 2025

The Primary Care Unit (PCU) is delighted to welcome four new ARC Fellows, all early-career Clinical Academic Nurses, who will be leading impactful research projects to advance palliative and community care. Their fellowships, supported by Dr Ben Bowers and Dr Simon Etkind, highlight the growing strength of clinical...

How do GPs’ new ways of working affect community nurses? A qualitative study

28 March 2025

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have found that community nurses providing palliative care find collaborating with GPs harder, where practices have moved towards remote communication and workforce diversification. The study, published in the British Journal of General Practice , explores how reshaping...

New resource launched to share the evidence base for anticipatory prescribing in end of life care

15 January 2025

The anticipatory prescribing of injectable medications is a common practice to manage symptoms for people receiving end-of-life care at home or in care homes. Despite its widespread use, there is limited evidence into acceptability, safety and clinical effectiveness of anticipatory prescribing. In this resource for...

Public perception of the physician associate profession in the UK: a systematic review

7 January 2025

Dr Shobhana Nagraj co-led a recent article in BMC Health Services Research examining public perceptions of the physician associate (PA) role in the UK. Amid ongoing scrutiny of PAs’ responsibilities and prescribing rights, the study reviewed 15 studies and highlighted significant public confusion about the role, with many...

The East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) - University of Cambridge Implementation research Hub

Launch of the East London NHS Foundation Trust - University of Cambridge Implementation Research Hub

7 January 2025

On September 27th 2024, the group launched the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) - University of Cambridge Implementation research Hub in Luton, Bedfordshire. The Hub, led by Dr Shobhana Nagraj working in partnership with ELFT, aims to increase research capacity in Luton & Bedfordshire, and, through reciprocal...

Understanding public receptiveness to risk-based innovations in cancer screening and early diagnosis

12 December 2024

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London have found that members of the public are receptive to the idea of using risk-based approaches and innovations within cancer healthcare, in a research study commissioned by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) . The report of this research marks a new...