RCGP Archives Overview
Institutional Records - Research Units [A RE] Administrative
History
Manchester | Birmingham | Swansea | Scottish | Leigh
The
Manchester Research Unit was founded in 1968 and became the Centre
for Primary Care Research and Epidemiology on its relocation in
1997, to the
Department of
General Practice and Primary Care at the University of
Aberdeen. Since 1968, the Centre has been principally involved
in large-scale national longitudinal studies. Its recorder was
Clifford Kay. It is perhaps best known for the continuing Oral
Contraception Study which has investigated the health effects of
the contraceptive pill and which is now over thirty years old.
Findings from the study continue to influence clinical practice
around the world. The size and comprehensiveness of the database
has enabled the study to examine other issues related to women’s
health, such as the use of hormone replacement therapy and risk
factors for cardiovascular disease. Other large scale studies have
been the joint RCGP/RCOG Attitudes to Pregnancy Study, and
Myocardial Infarction Study.
The
Birmingham Research Unit, directed by Dr.
Donald Crombie and assisted by Dr. Robin Pinsent (College
Research Adviser) was founded at Crombie's suburban practice in
1962 soon after the first National Morbidity Survey. The results of
its study of diabetes, published in the British Medical Journal in
1962, brought the quality of its research to the attention of the
medical world for the first time. The unit played a major part in
disseminating the use of the age-sex and diagnostic registers
throughout general practice. It's name changed from General
Practice Research Unit to Birmingham Research Unit in 1977. Dr.
Douglas Fleming took over as Director of the Unit upon the
retirement of Dr. Crombie in 1988. The unit ran the National
Morbidity Surveys [four up until 1991] and a weekly epidemiological
returns service.
See also "Evolution of the Birmingham Research Unit"
Presentation by D M Fleming to Wonca Conference Dublin June
1998
The Swansea Research Unit came out of the Epidemic
Observation Unit which was set up by Ian Watson in Surrey
in 1954. In 1973 Watson retired and his worked was divided up
between Paul Grob at the University of Surrey (the Surrey unit
ceased to be assocated with the College from 1983) and W O
Williams in Swansea. Under W O Williams [known as W O] a
joint project into influenza was started in conjunction with the
Public Health Laboratory Service. In the mean time W O was offered
a post of Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Swansea University
but instead suggested having a RCGP Research Unit based at the
University. The Unit formally came into being 1975 and was run by W
O until his retirement in 1988 when it ceased to part of the RCGP.
It's work is carried on by the Postgraduate School of
Medicine at the University of Swansea. The main studies
carried out by the unit were in whooping cough and Influenza.
The Scottish General Practitioner Research Support Unit,
directed by Professor Knox of the University of Dundee. The Unit
was set up jointly by the Scottish Council of the Royal College of
General Practitioners and the Scottish Home and Health Department
in 1971. Funding from the Scottish Home and Health Department
ceased in October 1980. In March 1985 the Unit became independent
of the College and its activities were absorbed by the
University of Dundee's Department of General Practice.
History of Leigh Clinical Research
Unit
The Leigh Clinical Research Unit became a College unit in
1978. It was based at the practice of Maurice Stone, working in
Leigh, near Wigan in Lancashire. The emphasis of the work was on
analysing the risk factors for coronary heart disease and was based
on the Stones own list of 2,700 patients. Stone showed that
fibrogen was a major risk factor for heart disease. Stone died in
1988 before he was really able to develop his ideas further.