Manchester Integrative Medical Practice (MIMP) has been a research-active practice since 2017. With the support of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) North West Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN), we offer opportunities for patients to take part in studies which ultimately aim to improve their health and wellbeing. Patients are under no obligation to participate in any research study and the care and doctor-patient relationship is not affected in any way, should patients choose not to take part in any study. Patients always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve and have the opportunity to ask further questions about the study.
Why has the GM DERA been set up?
In April 2025, MIMP was awarded competitive funding from the NIHR North West RRDN to launch the Greater Manchester Deep End Research Alliance. The GM DERA is a partnership between MIMP and the NIHR School for Primary Care Research at the University of Manchester.
The GM DERA aims to promote research inclusion for our patients in line with the NIHR Research Inclusion Strategy 2022-2027. Inclusion enhances research impact. To address the needs of the public and enable better targeted, more cost-effective health and social care, research must be representative and inclusive. Inclusive research improves scientific rigour by improving the accuracy and generalisability of research. Patient safety, care and health outcomes are improved and research waste is reduced. Moreover, there is a moral imperative for NIHR research to benefit all people in society and research that is not inclusive may constitute discrimination.
Recently, there has been a renewed drive by the NIHR to engage ‘Deep End’ GP practices in research to support inclusion. ‘Deep End’ practices are GP practices that serve traditionally under-represented populations in research, including people from the most deprived socio-economic background. GPs and primary care teams have long been recognised as crucial to engaging patients in research given the trusted relationships with patients, the preventative work led by GPs (e.g. providing immunisations and screening) and the increasing shift of care from secondary to primary care for many chronic diseases of interest to researchers.
What are the aims of the GM DERA?
Co-creation
To co-create useful, relevant research in order to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for our patients. Support researchers to ensure inclusive design across the research lifecycle – from developing initial research ideas and research questions; informing the selection of participants and data collection, through to its analysis and evaluating impact.
Capacity-building
To develop a network of research-active practices serving populations that are traditionally under-represented in health and social care research, harnessing economies of scale. Gather data and insights from Deep End primary care teams in order to inform NIHR policy to support sustainable practice-based research delivery. As a GP training practice, support the next generation of GP Academic Clinical Fellows in leading research which is catered to deep end practices.
Collaboration
To collaborate with key stakeholders including the NIHR North West RRDN; NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) GM and their NHS England Research Engagement Network (REN); commercial partners; local patient groups and voluntary care sector organisations to better engage our patients in research.
Consultancy
With the increasing use of AI technology and automation to manage demand in primary care, the GM DERA also aims to provide research consultancy for tech companies to ensure that emerging technologies effectively support primary care teams to meet the needs of patients with poor health and/ or IT literacy.
Who are we?
Dr Maria Ahmed is the Clinical Director of the GM DERA and Principal GP and Research Lead at MIMP. She has acted as Principal Investigator for numerous studies in disease areas including allergy, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes and obesity and has provided research consultancy for academic and commercial study partners. As a GP working in a ‘Deep End’ practice she is passionate about engaging her patients in research to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. Her substantive role as a GP leading on research delivery at her practice, combined with her former roles as the GM NIHR CRN GP Research Champion and NIHR GP Academic Clinical Fellow have granted her unique insight and experience into the challenge of navigating the provision of high-quality care with engaging her primary care team and patients in research, whilst respecting the needs of both academic researchers and commercial study teams.
Maria has a particular interest in patient safety and undertook a PhD at the NIHR Patient Safety Research Translational Centre, Imperial College London under the supervision of Prof Charles Vincent. She has led award-winning research in patient safety education, effectively implementing, evaluating and sustaining the regional ‘Lessons Learnt: Building a Safer Foundation’ programme for 1000+ trainees across the North West and has published and presented her work widely. Previous national and international roles in patient safety include as Clinical Advisor on the Chief Medical Officer’s scheme, working at Bupa and the World Health Organization Patient Safety programme; Trustee of the Clinical Human Factors Group and Board member of the NHSE Primary Care Patient Safety Expert group. Maria holds additional qualifications in public health and healthcare leadership and was awarded a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2018 and the NHS Leadership Academy’s Senior Healthcare Leadership Award in 2019. Her former leadership and assurance roles include Non-Executive Board Member and Chair of the Quality Committee at a large NHS Trust; CQC Specialist Advisor and GMC Education Associate.
Professor Peter Bower currently leads the Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, which is part of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. Peter co-led the NIHR Rose National Evaluation Team (Rose NET). He is an NIHR Senior Investigator, and an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. His work has a focus on mental health, multimorbidity, and the evaluation of innovations in service delivery including effective ways of improving management of long-term conditions, with a focus on multimorbidity, the delivery of effective psychological therapies for common mental health problems, and the effective recruitment of patients to randomised trials. Peter collaborates with colleagues at a range of universities in the UK and internationally and his main methodological interests include evidence synthesis, trials and evaluation methodology.
MIMP is based across two purpose-built NHS sites at Moss Side Health Centre and Longsight Health Centre. The practice serves a growing list of approximately 15,000 patients with a significant proportion of patients with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The practice population falls in the most deprived decile and comprises 67.4% ethnic minority patients (5.5% Mixed, 33.5% Asian, 20.6% Black, 7.8% Other non-white ethnic groups). Dr Maria Ahmed is supported by the wider multidisciplinary team at MIMP, comprising GPs with a specialist interest in COPD, Diabetes, Cardiometabolic Medicine, Dermatology, Cancer and Palliative Care and Women’s Health; Clinical Pharmacists (including a Pharmacist prescriber) with specialist interests in asthma, diabetes, hypertension, lipid management and antimicrobial stewardship; practice nurses (specialist interests in asthma and diabetes); physician associates (specialist interests in mental health and women’s health); healthcare assistants; First Contact Physiotherapist; Integrated Health Worker, Dietician and Mental Health Worker. Many of the team are multi-lingual, engendering enhanced trust with patients. GCP-trained staff include three GPs; two pharmacists; two physician associates; two practice nurses and the practice manager. On-site facilities to deliver research include fully-equipped clinical rooms and emergency drugs/ resuscitation equipment at each site; centrifuge and secure, temperature-monitored fridges, freezers and storage spaces.