The practice often participate in research activities. It is a member of the General Practice Research Network, which is an organisation of over 1000 general practices throughout the UK involved in research.

Some members of the practice are also members of HertNet - The Hertfordshire Primary Care Research Network Consortium,which is a local multidisciplinary network of professionals interested in research.

Other research conducted within the practice is coordinated by Pharmaceutical companies.

Any research the practice takes part in will have undergone approval from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire LRECs.  Further information about the research committees that have the purpose of safeguarding the rights, dignity and welfare of people participating in research in the NHS can be obtained from National Research Ethics Service.

Some patients may be contacted and invited to take part in trials but are only included with their consent.

To watch a video on research in primary care please click here.

Sometimes you will be offered an appointment in a joint or teaching surgery.  These surgeries are often performed with the GP trainer or Nurse and doctors-in-training or other healthcare professionals in training e.g. student nurses.  If you prefer to see your own doctor in private then please say so, it will not cause offence.

South Street Surgery is an approved training practice for the training of General Practice Registrars (GPRs).

GPRs are doctors in training who are qualified doctors and usually have already worked in hospitals as junior doctors.

Sometimes you will be offered an appointment in a joint or teaching surgery.  These surgeries are often performed with the GP trainer and doctor-in-training.  If you prefer to see your own doctor in private then please say so, it will not cause offence.

The practice often has other doctors from the hospital or those considering training for general practice visiting the surgery.  These doctors may occassionally sit in on a surgery as an observer.  Again should you prefer to see your own doctor in private then please say so.

BIRMINGHAM ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TREATMENT IN THE AGED STUDY 

The aim is to ascertain whether patients aged 75 with non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation identified in general practice should be treated with aspirin or warfarin.

The primary objectives are to test the following hypotheses in this group of patients:

• Warfarin will lead to a significantly lower incidence of hospitalisation or death as a result of a new stroke (ischaemic or haemorrhagic) or systemic embolus as compared to aspirin (75mg/ day)
  
• There will be no significant difference in the incidence of major non-intra-cranial haemorrhage (a bleeding event requiring hospital admission or causing death) in the two groups.
  
• There will be no significant difference in the death rate (all cause) or hospitalisation rate (all cause) in the two groups.