#Red4Research Day ends a research-roaring week for KMPT

‘Join our research community’ is the message we’re shouting proudly across KMPT today as we support #Red4Research Day. #Red4Research Day aims to get as many people wearing red to demonstrate their support and appreciation for all those participating, undertaking and supporting research. It is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the phenomenal work, learning legacy and innovative treatments that have arisen through R&D.

On Tuesday (13 June) members from our own research and innovation and quality improvement (QI) teams showed their support for #Red4Research Day at KMPT’s first ever research and QI conference. Held at Ashford International Hotel, over 150 colleagues attended in what was branded as a day of innovation, curiosity and enthusiasm to better care through mental health research and quality improvement

Delegates were led through a jam packed day of speakers and workshops. Opening the day was KMPT’s own Chief Medical Officer, Dr Afifa Qazi, who described the conference as “a dream come true” – marking the extraordinary journey KMPT had been on in building its research and improvement capacity. Key note speakers included Julia Wood, advocate of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Nancy Dixon from Healthcare Quality Quest and Professor Lisa Dikomitis, Professor of Medical Anthropology and Social Sciences and Co-Director of Research at Kent and Medway Medical School. All sharing their insightful work in how to develop better research approaches, interrogate data better and use these skills to provide better service user care and outcomes. 

The room was left with the closing thoughts of Professor Sukhi Shergill, Director of Research & Innovation alongside Trust Chair, Dr Jackie Craissati who reinforced staff to come forward and take part in research and to "not be scared".

The day was a roaring success which left many feeling enthused and excited by KMPT’s research future. Above all the take away message was to build confidence in research and encourage everyone to take part. Research doesn’t just happen though, people make it happen – research participants, service users, professionals, volunteers and partners all collectively working together. That’s why we want everyone to get involved and join our research community.

If want to get involved or want to keep up to date with all the latest information about what we’re doing at KMPT, join our Research Community here

To see more from the day head to our Twitter: @kmptnhs