NIHR (the National Institute for Health Research) manages the bulk of the Dept. of Health research funding for the NHS in England, for healthcare research in all areas of its work and services. NIHR manages the allocation of funding mainly through competitions for funding held throughout the year. Teams of excellent healthcare professionals, academics and scientists together with the patient and public partners, charities etc., put together their ideas and put in a funding application for their area of concern.

This is then passed to the Central Commissioning Facility to be taken into the assessment process for the competition for funding. Because the funding is competitive, the applications are read, reviewed and then committees and panels including the public, have the opportunity to make a final selection for recommendation for an award.

The CCF manages this for the Dept of Health programmes, which look for innovative new ideas for improving healthcare services, training, diagnosis, patient involvement, all areas in fact. I am the national manager for patient and public involvement in the CCF and it is my task to alert the patient and public community to these programmes, and the opportunities to comment on the ideas put forward, from their own experience and that of their families and friends. The offer is, to take a prt in this national task of finding excellent research ideas by joining our community of reviewers, and we are extremely supportive and all guidance and information needed for the task is there.

If any Houghton and Bossington residents are interested in this, are already involved in similar work with charities, or would simply like to know more, I am very happy to be contacted on

0208 943 7648 E: jean.coopermoran@nihr-ccf.org.uk

The local Hampshire based patient organisation "INVOLVE" (www.invo.org.uk) works with the CCF and this month there is an item in their patient information newsletter about the CCF and these opportunities.