UK links

Aggressive Research Intelligence Facility (ARIF)
ARIF's objective is to provide timely access to, and advice on, existing reviews of research. ARIF is a specialist unit based at the University of Birmingham, set up to help health care workers access and interpret research evidence in response to particular problems. It is a collaboration between the Department of Public Health & Epidemiology, the Department of General Practice and the Health Services Management Centre at the University.

British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Launched in 1840, the BMJ is a weekly journal which publishes original scientific studies, review and educational articles, and papers commenting on the clinical, scientific, social, political, and economic factors affecting health.

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) was established in January 1994 to provide the NHS with important information on the effectiveness of treatments and the delivery and organisation of health care.

CHAIN
Chain is a multidisciplinary series of interlinked, mutual support networks for people working in health and social care. It has been operating in and around the NHS for almost 10 years. The aim of CHAIN is to enable health professionals, researchers, managers, and educators to exchange ideas and experience and to facilitate networking between those who have common interests or complementary aspirations.

Chief Medical Officer
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is the UK Government's principal medical adviser and the professional head of all medical staff in England. These web pages provide up-to-date information on key public health issues and offer access to CMO reports and publications.

Clinical Evidence
Clinical Evidence is a regularly updated source of the best available evidence on the effects of common clinical interventions. New or updated topics are published online monthly. It is freely available to NHS staff, patients and the public in England and Wales through the National Library for Health and Howis. Users from developing countries may also access free of charge. Other users can subscribe online.

Cochrane Consumer Network
The network is made up of fellow consumers who are committed to the philosophies of the Cochrane Collaboration and the importance of consumer participation in informed healthcare decision-making processes. It links people with shared interests and connects them to the Cochrane groups that work in the different areas of health care.

Cochrane Library
The best single source of reliable evidence about the effects of health care. Includes abstracts of Cochrane reviews.

Current Controlled Trials
Current Controlled Trials allows users to search, register and share information about randomised controlled trials.

Faculty of Public Health
The faculty aims to promote, for the public benefit, the advancement of knowledge in the fields of public health medicine and to develop public health medicine with a view to maintaining the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice.

Health Information Resources (formerly the National Library for Health)
Health Information Resources provides users with easy access to the best current knowledge on improving health and health care, clinical practice and patient choice.

IRAS: Integrated Research Application System (IRAS)
A web-based integrated system for research applications was launched on 29 January 2008. This system is being introduced across the UK in order to streamline permissions and approvals application processes, which have often been criticised by researchers for being cumbersome and time consuming.

James Lind Alliance (JLA)
The James Lind Alliance (JLA) has been established to help identify and confront uncertainties about the effects of treatments considered important by patients and clinicians. The HTA programme is an affiliate member of the JLA and the development of close links means the HTA programme will soon have access to HTA research issues identified through a structured process of discussion between patients and clinicians, in a number of key clinical areas, i.e. asthma, epilepsy, schizophrenia and arthritis.

King's Fund
The King's Fund is an independent health charity which exists to support the health of the people of London. It aims to influence health policy and promote good practice in health and social care.

Medical Research Council (MRC)
The MRC aims to improve health by promoting research into all areas of medical and related science. It supports medical research in three main ways: through its research establishments; grants to individual scientists; and support for post graduate students.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
The executive agency of the Department of Health protecting and promoting public health and patient safety by ensuring that medicines, healthcare products and medical equipment meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, performance and effectiveness, and are used safely.

National Horizon Scanning Centre (NHSC)
The principal aim of the NHSC is to provide advance notice to the Department of Health of new and emerging technologies (including changing applications and uses of existing technologies) that might require urgent evaluation, consideration of clinical and cost impact or modification of clinical guidance.

National Network of Research & Development Support Units
Group of professional research support units funded by the National Co-Ordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development (part of NHS R&D) in order to support high quality and multi-disciplinary health and social care research.

National Prescribing Centre
The National Prescribing Centre aims to promote and support high quality, cost-effective prescribing and medicines management across the NHS, to help improve patient care and service delivery.

Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland
Aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Northen Ireland.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland brings together the Health Technology Board for Scotland, the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, the Scottish Health Advisory Service, the Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit and the Clinical Resource and Audit Group. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will coordinate the work of Scotland's clinical effectiveness organisations through the development of a national strategy for improving the quality of patient care.

NHS R&D Forum
The NHS R&D Forum is a network for those involved in planning and managing research in health and social care. Aims to improve the environment for research in health and social care by facilitating and encouraging sharing of best practice, and working with other organisations.

NHS Scotland
The aim of the NHS in Scotland is to improve the health of the people of Scotland. Promoting better health, helping to prevent illness, and providing the best treatment and continuing care when needed, will help improve the quality of life for everyone.

NHS Wales
The aim of the NHS in Wales is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales.

NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF)
Set up in 2006 to manage and administer the NHS National Research & Development Programme. Investigates a range of healthcare matters and assists in how research-based knowledge is applied across all healthcare sectors.

NIHR Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN)
As part of the National Institute for Health Research, the Clinical Research Network helps to provide the infrastructure that allows high-quality clinical research to take place in the NHS, so that patients can benefit from new and better treatments, and the CRN can learn how to improve NHS healthcare for the future.

Service Delivery and Organisation Programme
Established in 1999 to consolidate and develop the evidence base on the organisation, management and delivery of health services, and to promote the uptake and application of that evidence in policy and practice.

UK Cochrane Centre
The UK Cochrane Centre was established at the end of 1992, by the National Health Service Research and Development Programme. The main objectives of the centre relate to providing training and support to Cochrane entities and contributors in the UK, Ireland, Turkey and countries in the Middle East, and conducting a research/methodology programme.

NIHR Trial Managers Network
The NIHR Trial Managers Network (TMN) is run by trial managers for trial managers and has been primarily developed to facilitate the sharing of expertise and knowledge, in order to implement best practice in the management of clinical trials. The Network also seeks to promote a shared understanding of the role and value of effective trial management within clinical research.

The HTA programme is not responsible for the content of external websites.

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