Full UKCRC Registration
CTUs were required to meet a number of key
competencies, which were assessed against detailed
evaluation criteria and reviewed by an international panel.
These included a track record of experience in coordinating
multi-centre clinical trials, presence of expert staff and robust
quality assurance systems, and evidence of long term
viability of capacity for trials coordination.
National Collaboration
WCTU works with clinicians
and are healthcare providers
throughout the UK and is
committed to recruiting 26,294
subjects into clinical trials to
evaluate treatments to improve
healthcare.
Systematic Reviews
Health Economics
Systematic reviews are crucial to evidence
based medicine. The REPOSITORY project will
systematically review studies of predictors of response
to treatment in low back pain. Outcomes of interest
are any pain disability and psychological distress
measures including return to work/normal
activities.
All large trials comprise a health economic
evaluation which systematically appraises the costs,
benefits and relative economic efficiency of different
interventions. Economic evaluations are increasingly
important as they give a rational objective basis
for decision making when healthcare
systems have finite resources.
shilpa.patel@warwick.ac.uk
s.petrou@warwick.ac.uk
WCTU is an academic unit undertaking clinical trials addressing real issues of
local, national and international importance. The Unit has expertise in the design
and conduct of large randomised controlled trials (RCTs), particularly of complex
Process Evaluation
Trials Methodology
health states and interventions and has the following major strands of work:
Process evaluation is seen as good practice in
WCTU has an active research programme on
musculoskeletal conditions including Injury prevention and management;
large RCTs. The OPERA trial is looking to reduce
the methodology of clinical trials including the
emergency and critical care; cancer; clinical trials methodology;
depression in older people living in care homes through
development and application of novel statistical
systematic reviews and health economics.
increasing activity levels. Using qualitative and
methods and research on improving the conduct of
quantitative methods the process evaluation will
determine the extent to which the trial is
implemented by measuring activities
and quality.
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/ctu
d.r.ellard@warwick.ac.uk
trials. Recent projects have involved comparison of
telephone and postal follow-up and use of gift
vouchers as an incentive to promote
questionnaire return.
s.gates@warwick.ac.uk
Selected Publications
Lamb SE, Hansen Z, Lall R, Castelnuovo E, Withers EJ, Nichols V, Potter R, Underwood M on behalf of the BeST trial group. A multi-centred randomised controlled trial of a
primary care based cognitive behavioural program for low back pain. The Back Skills Training Trial “BeST”. Lancet 2010;375(9718):916-23.
Lamb SE, Williams MA, Williamson EM, Gates S, Withers EJ, Mt-Isa S, Ashby D, Castelnuovo E, Underwood M, Cooke MW on behalf of the MINT trial group . Managing
Injuries of the Neck Trial – “MINT”. Health Technology Assessment (in press).
Midgley RSJ, McConkey CC, Johnstone E, Dunn JA, Smith JL, Grumett SA, Julier P, Iveson P, Yanagasiwa Y, Warran B, Xiao-he Chen, Warron B, Langman M, Kerr DJ. Phase III
randomised trial assessing rofecoxib in the adjuvant setting of colorectal cancer: final results of the VICTOR trial. J Clin Onc 28(30):4575-80, 2010 Oct 2010
The WCTU Building was built with thanks to the Wolfson Foundation and Advantage West Midlands through Birmingham Science City
Translational Medicine, Clinical Research and Infrastructure Trials Platform. The building has been designed to meet new standards for
sustainability and energy use. It allows for natural ventilation and natural daylight through a large central atrium and includes a combined
zinc roof and ‘green’ roof and external solar shading. The building has recently been accredited to BREEAM Excellent standards.