This group brings together the operational teams from across the adult and paediatric ECMC networks to share learnings and solutions to optimise trial delivery and inform national initiatives.
The Centre Business Leads (CBL) Forum brings together the operational teams from across the adult and paediatric ECMC networks to share learnings and solutions to optimise trial delivery and inform national initiatives.
The current focus areas for the CBL Forum are:
These areas of focus were identified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum discussed challenges on the management and delivery of research portfolios and shared solutions to getting early phase cancer trials back up and recruiting as soon as possible.
The ECMC Centre Business Leads Forum had two posters at the UKCRFN Symposium in November 2021. One poster summarised why and how the CBL Forum had been established the other was about the two guidance documents produced by the Forum. Both can be viewed here
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in Trust research teams being redeployed to support the COVID-19 research and front-line clinical services. This impacted vital research and centres needed to plan a phased restart of experimental cancer studies, prioritising the safety of patients and staff and aligning with the NIHR Restart Framework.
Based on experiences and approaches from across the ECMC network the CBLs worked collaboratively to produce guidance on what to consider when reviewing and making improvements to local restart frameworks to set-up, open and recruit to trials during national emergencies. This document can be used by members of the network to help implement or improve restart prioritisation categorisation of trials.
At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in restrictions which made on-site monitoring of clinical trial data and documents more challenging due to safety and social distancing restrictions. These restrictions meant alternative ways of monitoring clinical trials needed to be explored and implemented to ensure data integrity and patient safety on clinical trials.
The shared collective knowledge of the CBL Forum has resulted in the operational teams from centres working collaboratively to produce some guidance on remote monitoring activities based on experiences and approaches across the network. This document can be used by members of the network to help implement or improve remote monitoring practices, resolve common issues or help discussions with Trusts or Sponsors to adopt remote monitoring.
