SEARCH V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social and Ethical Aspects of Remote and Hybrid Care in the Special Allocation Scheme in general practice (SEARCH): A mixed methods feasibility study
IRAS ID
353419
Contact name
Natassia Brenman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 6 days
Research summary
What is the background to this research?
The ‘Special Allocation Scheme’ (SAS) provides GP services to patients who have been excluded from their GP practice after being reported for violent behaviour. Patients registered on SAS are likely to be offered remote services, in part because patients are often placed in an ‘out-of-area’ SAS practice.
There is extremely limited evidence available on the needs of patients on SAS, whether and when it is appropriate to offer remote options, and how this service can best be organised for patients and staff involved. It is likely that many of these patients already experience multiple disadvantages, and it might be difficult for staff to know how best to support patients.
What will we do?
We will first find out how, where, and to whom SAS services are provided through a national survey. We will then take a closer look at care provided to patients on SAS through observations and interviews with patients and staff at three English SAS providers, alongside broader interviews with policy and decision makers.
We will prepare for this work by involving people with experience in working for and with patients on SAS, as well as patients with lived experience of SAS and/or other forms of exclusion in care. This will help us in developing approaches for safe, ethical, and meaningful patient involvement in the current study, as well as possible future research.
How will this research benefit patients?
We hope this project will help improve the way that research is done with and for patients who experience exclusion in care. Overall findings will provide insights into the accessibility, inclusivity, and quality of GP services for patients on SAS. We will co-design resources for use by researchers and/or healthcare providers for further patient involvement, research and/or service redesign in this area.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0411
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion