A WIDE range of research projects at Southmead Hospital have been awarded a combined £48,000 in funding amassed through charitable donations.

The funding comes from the Southmead Hospital Charity, which has provided a total of £850,000 to 86 projects through its research fund since it was set up in 2006, with 24 active projects currently funded through public donations.

The scheme makes annual grants to support high quality research projects - pilot, feasibility or proof of concept, or to feed into larger funding bids with the potential to have an impact within the NHS.

Among this year’s round of projects have been given funding are:

  • Dr Katie Cornthwaite who has been awarded £19,631 for the development of simulation training for the difficult caesarean section delivery of a baby whose head has moved into the pelvis, which will eventually develop a training program for materntist staff to apply the skills into clinical practice.
  • Danya Bakhbakhi who has been awarded £7,582 for a project that looks at ways to better understand what support is needed by parents after a stillbirth by developing a research tool to assist clinicians and patients.
  • Dr Phillippa Bailey has been given £4,160 for research that looks at whether there is a link between socioeconomic position and the likelihood that people will donate their organs after death.
  • Dr Paul Creamer receives £13,650 to look at supporting patients through better understanding of reducing doses of biologic therapy drugs in inflammatory arthritis 
  • Dr David Odd awarded £3,193 to look at educational Trajectories children who were born premature. Alongside the Children of the 90s study the aim of this work is to compare the early (Key Stage 1) educational outcome of babies born early and see if the way they perform at school, as they grow, can help identify any specific educational needs.

Elizabeth Bond, the charity’s head of fundraising, said: “We are delighted to continue to fund such ground-breaking and pioneering research projects that will make a real difference to the lives of patients now and in the future.

“Thanks to our donors and fundraisers, we can provide funding for research projects like these to support clinicians in finding a better tomorrow for patients.”

Rebecca Smith, deputy director of research and innovation at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “The NBT Research Fund has been essential in helping our researchers to kick-start new, innovative research projects at NBT.

“These projects may start off small but there is the potential for huge impact on the services delivered to our patients in the future.

“We are incredibly grateful for the donations we receive, thank you.”