Vacancy for Lay Member/s on Clinical Trial Steering Committee

The General Practice Research Database (GPRD) is looking for 1 or 2 lay membersto

join their Clinical Trial Steering Committee. The Committee will assess which among alternative, already widely used treatments in general practice are preferable in terms of outcomes that matter to patients.

Background information

GPRD is the world's largest computerised database of anonymised medical records from primary care that is linked with other healthcare data. Currently data are being collected on about 5 million patients from around 639 primary care practices throughout the UK. It is the largest and most comprehensive source of data of its kind and is used worldwide for research by the pharmaceutical industry, clinical research organisations, regulators, government departments and leading academic institutions.

GPRD is part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe.

For more information about GPRD, please visit

For more information about MHRA, please visit

Purpose of the role

The role of the Clinical Trial Steering Committee is to provide guidance of the practical aspects of the research programme that aims to randomise patients for medications that are used widely but differently by GPs and that will use the anonymised electronic health records for information. The background of this research programme has been outlined in a recent publication in the British Medical Journal (van Staa and colleagues February 11 2012). The Clinical Trial Steering also needs to ensure that the studies continue to be run in a way which is safe for patients.

The Steering Committee will include 5 independent professional members and 1 or 2 lay members. Appointment is expected to be for 2 years in the first instance but may be longer depending on patient recruitment rates.

Meetings will take place every 3 months at the MHRA office in Victoria, London and are expected to last for approximately 2 hours. Committee members are accountable to the Chair of the Steering Committee.

This is not a salaried position, however, all reasonable and fully receipted expenses will be reimbursed (e.g. train fares, petrol etc).

Key responsibilities:

  1. Be available to attend quarterly meetings lasting approximately 2 hours in London
  2. Provide patient perspective on improving the relevance of research to issues faced by patients
  3. Comment on procedures within the research programme
  4. Play an active role at meetings

Essential criteria for role

  1. Previous or current experience of committee membership
  2. Knowledge and an interest in clinical research
  3. Experience of articulating a balanced view on patient perspectives
  4. An ability to review background information as provided to the Steering Committee and discuss these
  5. Time to commit to the work of the Steering Committee: attending meetings and background reading where necessary
  6. Confidence to participate in a multi-disciplinary committee

Key dates

Closing date for applications: 5 pm on Wednesday 7 March 2012

Interviews to be held: Wednesday21 March 2012

Date of next Committee meeting: 10am – 12pm on 27 March 2012

For more information about the vacancy please contact:

Heather Dorricott, Data Research Services Officer on 020 3080 6575 or email

Completed applications to be sent to:

Susan Frade, Head of Patient and Public Engagement

Communications Division (4-T), MHRA, 151 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9SZ or emailed to

Application form for: Lay Member/s on Clinical Trial Steering

Committee

Please use black ink to assist with photocopying. Forms must be returned to Susan by 5pm Wednesday 7 March 2012 with your CV and any continuation sheets.

Your personal details

Surname
Forenames
Title
Home address
Postcode
Home contacts / Phone / Mobile
Email:

Business address

(if applicable)
Postcode
Work contacts / Phone / Mobile
(if applicable) / Email

Which address would you prefer Home Address Business Address

us to use for correspondence?

Preferred e-mail address

Essential criteria

Please indicate below how you meet the essential criteria for this role. We will use your answers to judge whether you have the qualities for the post. You should provide examples which demonstrate you have the required qualities. Please continue on a separate sheet, if necessary.

1. Previous or current experience of committee membership
2. Knowledge and an interest in clinical research
3. Experience of articulating a balanced view on patient perspectives
4. An ability to review background information as provided to the Steering Committee and discuss these
5. Time to commit to the work of the Steering Committee: attending meetings and background reading where necessary
6. Confidence to participate in a multi-disciplinary committee

CV

Please enclose a brief, up to date CV (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining your employment history, any relevant voluntary work, public service or other experience, together with any relevant professional, academic or vocational qualification. Your CV will be used to assist the assessment of your expertise.

Declaration of interests

Do you have any business or personal interests that might be relevant to the work of the Clinical Trial Steering Committee and which could lead to a real or perceived conflict of interests were you to be appointed? (Failure to disclose such information could result in an appointment being terminated.)

No / Yes

If yes, please give details below:

References

Please give details of two referees, at least one of whom must be related to your recent professional activity. They will not be approached unless you are invited to interview. An appointment will not be offered until we have received satisfactory references.

Name

/

Name

Address

/

Address

Postcode

/

Postcode

Tel No

/

Tel no

E-mail

/

E-mail

How do you know him / her?

/

How do you know him / her?

No / Yes

May we contact them before interview?

Future contact

If you are unsuccessful in this application, may we keep your contact details on our records to inform you of other public appointments for which we think you might be a suitable candidate?
Yes

Monitoring Information

This information is removed on receipt and is not seen by the panel assessing your application.

Your name: Your postcode:

Date of birth

Gender

Male / Female

Ethnic Origin

White / Black or Black British / Asian or Asian British / Chinese and other / Mixed
British / African / Bangladeshi / Chinese / Asian & white
Irish / Caribbean / Indian / Any other ethnic background / Black African & white
Any other white background / Any other black background / Pakistani
Black Caribbean & white
Any other Asian background
Any other mixed background

Disability

No / Yes

Do you have any long-term illness, health problem or disability which may affect your daily activities or the work you can do?”

Declaration

I confirm that to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information given in this form is complete and correct. I further confirm that I have considered and understood the criteria for disqualification from appointment and that I do not fall within any of the descriptions of persons specified in those criteria. I understand that if I am appointed and the information I have provided is subsequently found to be untrue then my tenure of office may be terminated. I also confirm that I have read and I am fully aware of the standards of probity required by public appointees as outlined in the Seven Principles of Public Life (Annex A).

Please note if you are submitting an application form by email we do not require a hard copy in the post. A signature will only be required if you are appointed.

Signature / Date

Please return a completed application form, monitoring form and CV to Susan Frade, Head of Patient and Public Engagement at the following address:

Email:

Post:Communications (4-T), MHRA,151 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9SZ

Application forms and CV must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 7 March 2012