The Trust’s lead cancer nurse, Julie Hoole, has been successful in winning an internship with the National Institute for Health Research, Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber (NIHR-CLAHRC YH).

Research is now identified as core business for the NHS but previously opportunities for non-medical staff have been limited.

Julie will use her internship to improve her knowledge and skills as a nurse researcher. She aims to target the areas of methodology, statistics and data skills with the help of the experts at Huddersfield University.

This will further benefit her important research work to set up a national tool to help patients with head and neck cancers who maybe struggling with relationships and intimacy after diagnosis.

She said: “I want to be able to bring my learning back to the Trust to share with the teams at the Trust.”

Julie is mentored and supported by our Professor of Nursing and Applied Health Research Felicity Astin, and in the past our Director of Nursing, Julie Dawes.

The scheme is to support short term research placements for non-medical staff. These awards are awarded on merit, in a competitive process, and enable the recipient to work with an established researcher to develop skills and confidence in understanding the research process.

If you are interested in applying for similar awards please contact Felicity.Astin@cht.nhs.uk.

** Under the terms, the internship pays for 30 days employment so the internee can specialise in a key areas of research.