Scottish Executive Health Department

HSRC (2007) 1stMeeting

Scottish Executive Health Department

Chief Scientist Office

Health Services Research Committee

Minutes of the meeting of the Health Services Research Committee held in conference rooms AB, St Andrew's House at 10.00am on Wednesday, 7 February 2007.

Present: Professor Marie Johnston (Chair)

Professor Christine Bond

Professor Andrew Briggs

Professor Harry Campbell

Professor Cunningham Owens

Professor Ronan O’Carroll

Professor Gillian Raab

Professor Bob Steele

Professor David Stott

Professor Frank Sullivan

Dr Alison Tierney

Prof David Weller

Dr Brian Williams

SEHDMs Beatrice Cant

Dr Peter Craig

Ms Jennifer Waterton

Mr Nick Gosling

ObservingMs Elizabeth Glidewell

Mr Tom Love

Minutes

1.Apologies for absence

Apologies were received from Professor Bhattacharya, Mrs Millar, Dr Spaull and Dr Swift.

2.Approval of minutes of meeting held on 11 October 2006.

Minutes of meeting held on 11 October 2006 were approved.

3.Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2006.

3.1Item 6.1 Professor C Wright, Dr A Sherriff, Professor A Le Couteur, Dr H Minnis, Dr D Young (CZH/4/411)

Developing an infancy feeding and eating scale

Following receipt of satisfactory answers to the points raised, this proposal has now been funded.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / Total
£13,199 / £72,526 / £24,220 / £109,945

3.2Item 6.2 Professor J Reilly, Dr J Wells, Dr M Fewtrell, (CZH/4/413)

Is exclusive breast-feeding adequate to meet infant energy needs at 6months? Longitudinal studies of infant energy balance

Following receipt of satisfactory answers to the points raised, this proposal has now been funded.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / Total
£1,225 / £15,811 / £10,150 / £27,186

3.3Item 6.4 Professor J Morrison, Miss M Anderson, Mr D Bailey, Ms S MacDonald, Dr M Maxwell, Ms R Munoz-Arroyo, Dr A Power, Dr M Smith, Professor M Sutton, Dr P Wilson (CZH/4/400)

Depression and long term work incapacity in Scotland: the role of the GP

A resubmitted application received as item 6.14R.

3.4Item 6.5R Professor D Johnston, Dr J Hay, Professor M Johnston, Dr M Jones, Mrs B Farquharson (CZH/4/394)

Stress in NHS-24 nurses: Level, determinants and consequences assessed using psychological, physiological and behavioural measures

A funding letter was issued.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / Total
£86,071 / £118,075 / £15,323 / £219,469

3.5Item 6.6R Professor K Millar, Dr A Asbury, Professor A Bowman, Dr M Hosey, Dr N Morton, Professor R Welbury (CZH/4/382)

Randomised clinical trial of the effects of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA: propofol) versus volatile anaesthesia (sevoflurane/N20) on children’s post-operative cognition, behaviour and physical morbidity

A funding letter was issued.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / 2009/2010 / Total
£30,008 / £71,852 / £71,374 / £51,766 / £225,000

3.6Item 6.7 Dr G Leese, Professor A Morris, Dr M Murphy, Dr W Morrison (CZH/4/395)

Long-term morbidity in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism – A population based study

A resubmitted application received as item 6.18R.

3.7Item6.8R Dr B Cuthbertson, Dr S Stott, Dr L Vale, Professor M Campbell, Miss J Brittenden, Dr J Kinsella, Dr J Cook, Mr J Norrie, Professor A Grant (CZH/4/392)

Pragmatic multi-centre randomised trial of (1) routine postoperative ICU care and / or (2) pre-operative fluid loading in high-risk surgical patients undergoing major elective and urgent surgery

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised. A response has not yet been received.

3.8Item6.10 Professor S Bhattacharya, Dr M Porter, Dr J Kurinczuk, Professor A Templeton, Professor A Lee, Dr M Hamilton (CZH/4/391)

A study of the epidemiology of infertility in the north east of Scotland

Following receipt of satisfactory answers to the points raised, this proposal has now been funded.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / Total
£38,001 / £31,460 / £69,461

3.9Item 6.16R Dr C Bucknall, Dr R Stevenson, Dr A McConnachie, Dr M Cotton, Dr C Morrison, Dr J Cleland, Dr P Cotton (CZH/4/246)

Glasgow Supported Self-management randomised controlled Trial for patients with moderate/severe COPD – GsuST

Following receipt of satisfactory answers to the points raised, this proposal has now been funded.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / 2009/2010 / Total
£11,470 / £66,552 / £57,539 / £37,724 / £173,285

3.10Item 6.17 Dr B Williams, Dr J Coyle, Dr K Hunt, Dr S Naji (CZH/4/415)

An exploration of reasons for gender differences in beliefs, knowledge and attitudes towards mental health among adolescents informing the development of new interventions

A resubmitted application received as item 6.24R.

3.11Item 6.18R Dr K Macintyre, Dr P Jhund, Dr M Walters, Professor J McMurray, Professor S Capewell, Mr A Redpath, Dr J Chalmers (CZH/4/389)

Stroke in Scotland 1986-2004: epidemiology and impact on population and health care

A funding letter was issued.

2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / Total
£49,074 / £98,646 / £46,732 / £194,452

4.Small Grant applications (to be tabled)

A paper was tabled.

5.Proposal for College of Experts

The development of a 'HSR Expert Panel' to help with problems in generating sufficient high quality reviews was discussed. Members were invited to send in ideas for people both within and outwith Scotland who would be worth approaching with a request to join. Progress would be updated in May, with a view to introducing the system fully in October.

6.Applications

6.1 Professor M McMurdo, Dr M Witham, Professor A Struthers, Professor D Johnston, Professor C Lang (CZH/4/426)

A randomised controlled trial of the effect of exercise training on exercise capacity in older patients with heart failure

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised.

6.2 Dr J Tucker, Professor J Farmer, Dr N Smith, Ms A Fitzmaurice, Ms T Humphrey, Dr R Powell (CZH/4/414)

Psychological wellbeing and social support in hospitalised “high risk” women in the perinatal period: A prospective urban-rural comparison.

The Committee recommended that this application be resubmitted.

6.3 Dr V Entwistle, Professor M McMurdo, Dr A Avenell, Mrs R Price, Dr Z Skea, Dr J Potter (CZH/4/423)

A study of older people’s views about nutrition support following acute hip fracture and the design of a multi-centre trial of interventions to improve this.

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.4 Professor I Crombie, Dr L Irvine, Professor L Elliot (CZH/4/428)

The public health approach to tackling violence: an international perspective.

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.5 Dr S Turner, Dr S Mukhopadhyay, Dr C Palmer, Professor J Ayres, Dr A Mehta, Dr T McFarlane (CZH/4/418)

Establishing a database to study gene-environment interactions and pharmacogenomics for asthma among Scottish children.

The Committee recommended that this application be resubmitted.

6.6 Ms H Cheyne, Professor L Dalgleish, Professor C Niven, Dr J Tucker, Dr A Shetty, Ms S McLeod (CZH/4/417)

Decision to transfer: risk assessment and decision making in labour in remote and rural settings

The Committee recommended that this application be resubmitted.

6.7Dr C Matheson, Professor C Bond, Professor A Lee, Dr B Davidson, Mr A Johnstone, Mrs L Skea (CZH/4/421)

A cluster randomised controlled trial of enhanced pharmacy services (EPS) for methadone patients

The Committee recommended that this application be resubmitted.

6.8Professor P Simmonds, Dr K Templeton, Dr S Cunningham

(CZH/4/420)

Determining the role of human bocavirus infections in paediatric respiratory disease; evaluation of the requirement for diagnostic assays in Scotland.

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.9Dr S Treweek, Professor F Sullivan, Professor M Eccles, Professor M Johnston, Dr J Francis, Professor I Ricketts, Miss C Jones, Professor N Pitts, Dr D Bonetti (CZH/4/410)

A web-based platform to support the development, delivery, modelling and evaluation of complex interventions: intervention modelling experiments (IMEs)

The Committee recommended that this application be resubmitted.

6.10Professor C Robertson, Professor S Bird, Dr J McMenamin (CZH/4/434)

Operation Rob Roy: estimating the contact matrix between individuals in a localised community and testing the potential impact of public health interventions during pandemic flu

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.11Ms L Sinclair, Mr D Rutherford, Mr B McGlynn, Dr S Hagen, Mr G Hollins, Mr J Frankis, Professor K Moore (CZH/4/427)

A feasibility study for a RCT of a nurse-delivered intervention that provides standardised information on sexual function to men with prostate cancer

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.12Dr P Roche, Professor J Belch, Dr B Ellis, Professor P Stonebridge, Dr S Ogston, Mr S McSwiggan (CZH/4/380)

An evaluation of pain and psychosocial factors as predictors of compliance with supervised exercise in peripheral arterial disease: a cohort study

The Committee deferred this application until the next meeting.

6.13Professor A Sheikh, Dr A Worth, Professor S Cunningham-Burley (CZH/4/429)

Developing strategies for effective self-management of anaphylaxis in adolescents: in-depth qualitative study of adolescent and parental perceptions of risk, self-management and support needs

The Committee deferred this application until the next meeting.

6.14RProfessor J Morrison, Ms S MacDonald, Dr M Maxwell, Ms R Munoz-Arroyo, Dr A Power, Dr M Smith, Professor M Sutton, Dr P Wilson (CZH/4/400)

Depression and long term work incapacity in Scotland: the role of the GP

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised.

6.15Dr K Kilborn, Dr A Hughes (CZH/4/409)

Evaluation of a method of detecting Alzheimer’s disease in the clinical setting: a prospective screening study

The Committee deferred this application until the next meeting.

6.16Dr G Huby, Professor M Dennis, Ms W Laird, Ms K Brennan, Mr M Smith, Ms A Jarvis, Ms A Goulbourne, (CZH/4/406)

The role of unpaid caregivers as partners in decision-making about discharge from hospital following stroke: exploring barriers, facilitating factors and outcomes in three settings

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.17Professor S Cooper, Professor J Morrison, Dr C Melville, Miss L Allan, Ms C Wallis, Mr A McConnachie (CZH/6/2)

Health improvement programme for adults with learning disabilities

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.18RDr G Leese, Professor A Morris, Dr M Murphy, Dr W Morrison Ms G Libby (CZH/4/395)

Long-term morbidity in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism – a population based study

The Committee recommended that this application be funded.

2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / Total
£74,801 / £62,949 / £137,750

6.19Professor R Bhopal, Dr C Fischbacher, Ms J Jamieson, Mr D Brewster, Mr J Chalmers, Mr C Povey, Ms H Brown (CZH/4/432)

Ethnicity and health in Scotland: making the information desert bloom. A retrospective cohort study of 5 million people linking health and census databases

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised.

2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / 2010/2011 / Total
£59,401 / £89,865 / £75,709 / £224,975

6.20Professor D Weller, Dr C Campbell, Professor H Campbell, Dr N Campbell, Dr R Cetnarskyj, Professor M Dunlop, Dr R Jepson, Dr U MacLeod, Professor A Sheikh, Professor R Steele (CZH/6/6)

Access and equity in bowel cancer screening – the role of primary care

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

6.21Professor R Steele, Professor C Fraser, Dr M Kenicer, Professor F Carey, Ms C Morton, Mr R Black, Dr D Brewster, Dr A Walker, Professor D Weller (CZH/6/4)

Establishing a bowel screening research unit

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised.

6.22Professor K Davidson, Professor P Tyrer, Dr A Gumley, Dr H Seivewright, Mr J Norrie, Mr S Palmer (CZH/4/435)

Prospective 5 years follow-up of UK patients with borderline personality disorder

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised.

2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / Total
£84,619 / £140,381 / £225,000

6.23RDr B Williams, Dr J Coyle, Professor K Hunt, Dr S Naji (CZH/4/415)

An exploration of, and reasons for, gender differences in beliefs, knowledge and attitudes towards mental health among adolescents to inform the development of new interventions

The Committee did not recommend support for this application.

7.Supplementary applications

7.1RDr J Norman, Dr S Sturgiss, Dr S Cooper, Dr K Hanretty, Dr P Owen, Dr H MacTier,Dr PDanielian, Mr J Norrie,Dr GMires, Dr F MacKenzie (CZH/4/200)

Double blind randomised placebo controlled study of progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth in twins (STOPPIT)

The Committee recommended that this application be funded, subject to a satisfactory response to points raised.

8.Progress reports

None

9.Final reports

9.1 Dr R Milne, Dr B Torsney (CZG/2/184)

The impact of outreach on non-attendance at consultant out-patient clinics: does it raise non-attendance

The Committee recommended that the report be returned for rewriting.

9.2 Dr J Gillies, Professor A Sheikh, Mrs S Weiner-Oglivie, Dr H Pinnock, Professor M Partridge, Dr G Huby (CZG/2/186)

Describing compliance with and identifying barriers and facilitators to the implementation of BTS-SIGN-63 (the British guideline for the management of asthma) in a rural health board

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.3 Professor K Lees, Dr S Aslanyan, Dr C Weir, Dr K Muir (CZH/4/282)

Magnesium in acute lacunar stroke patients: preliminary studies for considering a protocol for a randomised clinical trial

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.4 Dr A Jahoda, Dr C Pert, Dr P Trower, Dr B Stenfert-Kroese, Dr B Burford, Professor D Dagnan (CZH/4/181)

Establishing the building blocks of cognitive behavioural therapy for people with mild learning disabilities: an exploration of key process issues

The Committee recommended that the report be returned for rewriting.

9.5 Professor J Evans(CZG/2/207)

Improving cognitive-motor dual tasking in neurological illness

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.6 Dr M Murphy, Professor N Sattar, Dr M Wallace, Professor T Wilkin (CZG/2/253)

Clarifying the causes and consequences of childhood obesity: serial measurements of leptin, adiponectin, IGF1 and highly sensitive CRP in a cohort of healthy pre-pubertal children

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.7Dr D Christmas, Professor K Matthews, Mr R McVicar, Mr M Eljamel, Dr G Houston, Dr J Gilchrist, Dr A Livingstone(CZG/2/223)

Functional neurosurgery for intractable mental disorder: long term effects on mental health, neuropsychological performance, social function and quality of life

The Committee graded this report as excellent.

9.8Professor F Fowkes, Professor C Ruckley, Dr P Allan, Dr A Lee, Mr S Fraser, Miss S Johnston, Mrs K Gallagher, Dr C Evans, Dr B McKinstry, Dr F Smith, Professor D Weller (CZH/4/143)

Risk factors for chronic ulceration in patients with varicose veins: case control study

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.9Dr P Warner, Professor S Cunningham-Burley (CZG/2/220)

Health concerns and experience of hormonal replacement therapies among young women with premature ovarian failure

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.10 Dr M Sharpe, Professor D Weller (CZH/3/37)

Patients frequently referred from primary to secondary care for medically unexplained symptoms

The Committee recommended that the report be returned for rewriting.

9.11RDr P Wilson, Dr C Puckering, Dr N Reissland, Dr H Marwick, Professor C Gillberg, Dr A McConnachie(CZG/2/217)

A pilot study to establish the feasibility of parental targeted video recording for studies of social communication in early childhood

The Committee recommended that the report be returned for rewriting.

9.12 Professor D Murphy, Dr G McLeod (CZG/2/185)

A randomised controlled trial of oxytocin 5iu versus oxytocin 5iu and 30iu infusion for the control of blood loss at elective caesarean section - pilot study

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.13Professor R McCreadie, Dr J Allardyce, Dr B Kirkpatrick, Dr C Tek, Professor J van Os, Dr C Kelly (CZH/4/410)

A population based study of the course and outcome of first episode psychosis

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

9.14Dr P Warner, Professor S Cunningham-Burley (CZG/2/203)

The Aberdeenchildren of the 1950s cohort study: developing and maintaining an important Scottish resource for life-course epidemiology and public health research

The Committee graded this report as satisfactory.

10.Any other business.

11.Date of next meeting:23 May 2007

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