Join the campaign for Clinical Research Practitioner accredited professional registration

Clinical Research Practitioners (CRPs) are a crucial part of delivering clinical research across the NHS. The work of CRPs ranges from recruiting patients, promoting research, and providing patient care. However, Clinical Research Practitioners (CRPs) do not yet have accredited registration, despite their integral role to conducting research. 

Accredited professional registration provides definition for healthcare roles including nursing, pharmacy, and allied health professionals, as well as assuring the skills and expertise of these roles to patients. With accredited registration, the role of Clinical Research Practitioners will be more widely recognised across the NHS and healthcare fields. 

The NIHR and Academy for Healthcare Science have established a Directory for Clinical Research Practitioners (CRPs) to act as a Community of Practice for CRPs. This fast-growing Directory aims to establish a foundation for further action to define CRPs professional identity, including supporting an application for accredited professional registration. 

By joining the Directory for Clinical Research Practitioners, CRPs are able to display the Accredited Register quality mark of the Professional Standards Authority to demonstrate that their standards have been met. The Directory further offers an opportunity for CRPs to communicate with and support their peers, as part of building professional community and identity.

The Directory is open to application from people working in research delivery roles that involve direct contact with patients, activities in clinical environments, or other health and social care research settings, who are not registered with a healthcare profession.



Amy Herbert, Clinical Research Practitioner at Clinical Research Network (CRN) West of England, told us what her role as a CRP involves, and why she has joined the Directory for Clinical Research Practitioners.

What does your role as a CRP involve?
“Most of my role currently involves research delivery in Primary Care as part of the Research Support Team. This varies depending on the study, but it can involve screening patients, receiving informed consent, baseline and follow-up visits with patients, and supporting researchers with the clinical aspects of their studies like cannulation.

My role is flexible. I also work with Research Officers as part of our Primary Care Team. I support primary care sites involved in the Research Site Initiative Scheme and I sometimes attend sites to meet with practice staff to discuss any research that’s available for them get involved in. I also work with researchers to help set up and open studies in the West of England by providing support with calculating Service Support Costs.”

What is your favourite part of your role?
“I really enjoy the variety of studies I am able to support as part of my role. I can be working on multiple studies at any one time, which makes each day different. The portfolio of research in primary care is broad and I’ve been keen to expand my knowledge of various conditions and develop new clinical skills along the way.”

What makes your role unique?
“I come from a psychology background, which means that I have different knowledge and skills that I can bring to my team. I get to work as part of a multidisciplinary team; I really enjoy working alongside healthcare professionals, such as nurses and GPs, on research and I get the opportunity to learn from them. 

My role has developed throughout my time working with the CRN to meet the needs of the primary care team and means I support the Research Officers as well as research delivery. This flexibility is unique to my role and it gives me a great understanding of the research process from the setup through to delivery.”

Why did you get involved with the Directory for Clinical Research Practitioners?
“The Clinical Research Practitioner role is really important to delivering research, both within NHS and non-traditional sites such as schools and hospices. We have a vital set of skills and a unique experience to bring to the team. I hope being involved with the Directory and part of the registry will contribute to working towards the application for accredited professional registration for CRPs.”

How do you see accredited registration for CRPs making a difference to your research journey?
“I think it will help define the role in its own right, as I often have to explain my background and what the title means. It would help my colleagues better understand the extent of the support I can offer, such as clinical skills, and also provide reassurance to patients that we have the appropriate qualifications, training and experience in research and healthcare.”

Sign up to the online Directory for Clinical Research Practitioners at: https://nihr.ahcs.ac.uk/.

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