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Research

Study Database

Click on each heading to see the trials that RA-UK research database members are running or setting up. Information for each project lead is made available, and studies that are actively recruiting new sites are indicated. The lead for Research at RA-UK is Associate Professor David Hewson from Nottingham. For questions about the research network, please contact us via support

Randomised Controlled Trials

Study name CAMELOT
Study type multi centre RCT
Brief study description  To establish if the use of rectus sheath catheter (RSC) delivered local anaesthetic (LA) infusion in addition to standard analgesia, is superior to standard analgesia without RSC, as defined by the Overall Benefit of Analgesia Score (OBAS) over the first 5 postoperative days.
Primary outcome(s)  Overall Benefit of Analgesia Score (OBAS) over the first 5 postoperative days. OBAS is a patient-reported composite endpoint of pain scores, opioid side-effects, and patient satisfaction (range 0 [best] to 28 [worst]).
Estimated recruitment target 750
Study start date Jan-23
Estimated completion date Sept-25
Adding centres? Yes
Study URL  https://bristoltrialscentre.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/details-of-studies/camelot/
Study twitter handle @CamelotStudy
PI Mark Edwards
PI email  camelot-trial@bristol.ac.uk
Co-investigators  Ronelle Mouton

Trial name/acronym: Early Rib Analgesia with SERratus: ERASER Trial

Brief study description : Could adding local anaesthetic to the fracture area using Serratus Anterior Plane Block (SAP) help patients to better manage their pain and reduce the rate of developing lung infections?

Primary outcome: To determine whether treating multiple rib fractures (MRF) patients with serratus anterior plane block (SAP) decreases the rates of pneumonia five days after randomisation

Recruitment target: 824

Recruitment start date (actual or estimated): Actual – June 2023

Recruitment end date (actual or estimated): 31-October 2026

Seeking additional UK recruiting sites? YES

Study URL. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/bctu/trials/portfolio-v/eraser 

Study twitter handle: @EraserTrial

Study Chief Investigator and lead centre: Tonny Veenith

Study contact email address: ERASER@trials.bham.ac.uk

Brief study findings (if applicable)  N/A -still active live study

Anaesthesia Choice for Creation of Arteriovenous Fistulae (ACCESS)

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Study name Anaesthesia Choice for Creation of Arteriovenous Fistulae (ACCESS)
Study type Multicentre RCT
Brief study description  Adult patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who require primary radio- (RCF) or brachio-cephalic fistula (BCF) creation. RA (US guided BPB) vs LA infiltration.
Primary outcome(s) Unassisted functional arteriovenous fistula (AVF) patency at 1 year
Estimated recruitment target 566
Study start date May-21
Estimated completion date Oct-24 Completed
Adding centres? No
Study URL https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR130567
Study twitter handle access_study
PI Emma Aitken
PI email emma.aitken@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Co-investigators alan.macfarlane@ggc.scot.nhs.uk. Rachel.kearns@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

 

  • Study name: Anaesthesia Choice for Creation of Arteriovenous Fistulae (ACCESS)
  • Study type: Multicentre RCT
  • Brief study description:  Adult patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who require primary radio- (RCF) or brachio-cephalic fistula (BCF) creation. RA (US guided BPB) vs LA infiltration.
  • Primary outcome(s): Unassisted functional arteriovenous fistula (AVF) patency at 1 year
  • Estimated recruitment target: 566
  • Study start date: May-21
  • Estimated completion date: Oct-24 (Completed)
  • Adding centres?: No
  • Study URL: https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR130567
  • Study twitter handle: access_study
  • PI: Emma Aitken
  • PI email: emma.aitken@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
  • Co-investigators: alan.macfarlane@ggc.scot.nhs.uk & Rachel.kearns@ggc.scot.nhs.uk 

A multicentre, randomised cross-over equivalence trial investigating knowledge of anatomy following virtual reality or standard teaching in novice anaesthetists

Brief study description

This is a non-clinical randomised controlled trial of resident anaesthetists undergoing training in regional anaesthesia. Residents will be randomised to one of two groups for each training session day:

• Standard anatomical training (Group A)
• Virtual reality based anatomical training. (Group B)

Then followed by another training day session and participants will enter either
standard or VR teaching depending on the previous allocation:
• Standard anatomical training (Group B)
• Virtual reality based anatomical training. (Group A)

Anatomical knowledge will be tested in both groups using an on-line questionnaire

Primary outcome

Score out of 44 on a validated test of anatomy and sono-anatomy

Other outcomes

Before training

• Handedness (Edinburgh Handedness Inventory)
• Subjective sleepiness (Karolinska scale)
• Motor reaction time (Psychomotor Vigilance test)
• Attention control (Anti-Saccade test)
• Mental rotation (Mental Rotation Task)
• Depression Anxiety, Stress (DASS score)
• Visual Search Task (Divided Attention)
• Knowledge pretraining


After training and testing
• Knowledge after training session
• Acceptability: Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8)
• Usability: CyberSickness in Virtual Reality Questionnaire (CSQ-VR)
• Immersion: Witmer and Singer Presence Questionnaire
• Subjective workload (NASA – TLX scale)
• Cognitive Demand Battery (CBD)
• Resource use: Calculation of cost differences between learning
 Modalities

Recruitment target: 102

Recruitment start date (actual or estimated): October 2025

Recruitment end date (actual or estimated): Estimated Sep/Oct 2026

Seeking additional UK recruiting sites?: No

Study URL: N/A

Study twitter handle: N/A

Study Chief Investigator and lead centre: Dr Boyne Bellew

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore

Study contact email address: boyne.bellew@nhs.net  

Brief study findings : N/A

  • Study name: Erector Spinae Plane blocks for the Early Analgesia of Rib fractures in trauma: a multicentre pilot randomised controlled trial with feasibility and embedded qualitative assessment.
  • Study type: multicentre feasibility RCT
  • Brief study description: Adult patients admitted to major trauma centres with rib fractures randomised on admission to either ESP catheter plus multimodal analgesia or sham-ESP catheter plus multimodal analgesia
  • Primary outcome(s): Recruitment and retention rates vs target to determine feasibility of definitive trial
  • Estimated recruitment target: 50
  • Study start date: Nov-21
  • Estimated completion date: Nov-23
  • Adding centres?: No
  • Study URL: nil
  • Study twitter handle: nil
  • PI: David Hewson
  • PI email: david.hewson@nottingham.ac.uk
  • Co-investigators: nigel.bedforth@nuh.nhs.uk,  benjamin.ollivere@nottingham.ac.uk & matthew.costa@ndorms.ox.ac.uk 

Translational/Lab based studies

  • Study name: Development of ultrasound at end of needle
  • Study type: Laboratory
  • Brief study description: Build of 48 element ultrasound epidural needle
  • Primary outcome(s): Proof of concept
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date: Jan-15
  • Estimated completion date:
  • Adding centres?: Heriot Watt
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Graeme McLeod
  • Pl Email: g.amai.mcleod@dundee.ac.uk
  • Co-investigators

  • Study name: Recognition of interscalene and scaitic nerves on ultrasound images using Artificial Intelligence.
  • Study type: Translational
  • Brief study description: Artificial intelligence recognition of nerves
  • Primary outcome(s): Recognition of nerve
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date: Jun-19
  • Estimated completion date: Open
  • Adding centres?: Napier
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Graeme McLeod
  • PI email: g.a.mcleod@dundee.ac.uk
  • Co-investigators:

Study name: Development of educational models using augmented and virtual reality.
Study type: Translational
Brief study: description Building 3D interactive virtual neuraxis
Primary outcome(s): Viirtual CT neuraxis
Estimated recruitment target:
Study start date: Jun-21
Estimated completion date:
Adding centres?: No
Study URL:
Study twitter handle:
PI: Graeme McLeod
PI email: g.a.mcleod@dundee.ac.uk 
Co-investigators

Uncategorised

  • Study name: Inconsistency in Anatomical Structure Identification during Plan A Blocks in Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anaesthesia: Comparing Clinical Opinion to the Published Literature
  • Study type:
  • Brief study description:
  • Primary outcome(s): Consistency of anatomical structure identification in these blocks, thus assessing ultrasound image acquisition and interpretation.
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date:
  • Estimated completion date:
  • Adding centres?:
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Boyne Bellew
  • PI email: boyne.bellew@nhs.net
  • Co-investigators: Dr FA Cook, Dr M Murali, Dr S Habib, Dr S Haddad, Dr J Brandreth, Dr James Bowness

  • Study name: A pilot study of a Community of Practice for Regional Anaesthesia (CoP-RA): A forum to facilitate shared decision makingStudy type:
  • Brief study description:
  • Primary outcome(s): Determine if a CoP-RA affects patients’ perceptions and beliefs about anaesthesia, Evaluate patient engagement with a CoP – RA , Determine if a CoP-RA affects patients’ choice of mode of anaesthesia
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date:
  • Estimated completion date: 2022/2023
  • Adding centres?:
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Boyne Bellew
  • PI email: boyne.bellew@nhs.net
  • Co-investigators: Prof Alun Davies, Prof William Harrop-Griffiths, Mr Usman Jaffer, Dr Christopher Mullington, Dr Enrique Castro-Sánchez

  • Study name: CIA: Consent in Anaesthesia
  • Study type:
  • Brief study description:
  • Primary outcome(s): Patient’s satisfaction as measured by the validated CSQ-8 questionnaire
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date:
  • Estimated completion date: est 2022
  • Adding centres?:
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Boyne Bellew
  • PI email: boyne.bellew@nhs.net
  • Co-investigators: Dr Anne Tay, Dr Aditya Pal, Dr Candice Ramdin, Dr Andrew McGrath

  • Study name: URAISE: Ultrasound Regional Anaesthesia Interpretation Skill Evaluation
  • Study type:
  • Brief study description:
  • Primary outcome(s): Development of a validated, reliable and defensible tool to test ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia image interpretation skills.
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date:
  • Estimated completion date: 2021-22
  • Adding centres?:
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Boyne Bellew
  • PI email: boyne.bellew@nhs.net
  • Co-investigators: Dr FA Cook, Dr M Murali, Dr S Habib, Dr S Haddad, Dr J Brandreth, Dr Amit Pawa, Dr AJ MacFarlane, Dr Peter Merjavy, Dr Madan Narayanan, Dr Lloyd Turbitt, Dr James Bowness, Prof William Harrop-Griffiths

  • Study name: Pilot Study to Validate a Goal-Directed Pre-ne:edling Session in Regional Anaesthesia Training
  • Study type:
  • Brief study description:
  • Primary outcome(s): Time (in seconds) required to complete the ultrasound-guided needling skills assessment on the simulated phantom.
  • Estimated recruitment target 36
  • Study start date:
  • Estimated completion date: est 2022 if restarted
  • Adding centres?:
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Boyne Bellew
  • PI email: boyne.bellew@nhs.net
  • Co-investigators: Dr Anne Tay, Dr Robert Pilling, Dr Rebecca Smith, Dr Seth Galton, Dr Richard Doyle

  • Study name: STAIRS Pilot: Smartphone Technology and Applications to Improve quality of Recovery from Surgery
  • Study type:
  • Brief study description:
  • Primary outcome(s): QoR-40 at Day 7
  • Estimated recruitment target:
  • Study start date:
  • Estimated completion date: 2021-22
  • Adding centres?:
  • Study URL:
  • Study twitter handle:
  • PI: Boyne Bellew
  • PI email: boyne.bellew@nhs.net
  • Co-investigators: Dr Anne Tay, Dr Kenneth Murray, Dr Rita Agarwala

Completed

Trial name/acronym: NIAA: WKR0-2021-0025


BJ/RCoA Project Grant £70,000
Design and validation of an augmented reality system for simulated thoracic epidural block training on the soft embalmed Thiel cadaver


Brief study description: Medical extended reality projects a 3D digital image onto live surface anatomy via a wearable device while allowing operators to interact with the real world. We previously developed a 3D hologram of the thoracic spine from CT images of a soft embalmed Thiel cadaver and visualised spinal anatomy through a Microsoft Hololens2 headset. 


The primary objective of the present study was to test whether thoracic epidural training performance on the cadaver was improved using extended reality compared to the landmark insertion technique.
 
The study comprised psychometric evaluation of anaesthetists of all grades, a lecture, needling practice on both a plastic simulator and a soft embalmed Thiel cadaver and familiarisation with the Hololens2 augmented reality headset. Testing of cadaveric thoracic epidural procedural performance occurred at ten randomly allocated anatomical sites between T1/2 and T 10/11, randomised equally to the landmark paramedian technique or hologram guidance. Both groups used loss of resistance to fluid as the procedural endpoint. The primary outcome was the log-log slope of Global Rating Scale assessments.

Recruitment start date (actual or estimated): May 2024
Recruitment end date (actual or estimated): August 2024
Seeking additional UK recruiting sites? No
Study Chief Investigator and lead centre: Professor G McLeod
Study contact email address: g.a.mcleod@dundee.ac.uk 


Results Sixty-eight anaesthetists (junior, senior trainees and consultants from 3 training schools) opted-in to the study. Fifty-eight anaesthetists were recruited and completed the study. Global Rating Scale slopes did not differ between groups or by grade of anaesthetist. Secondary end points showed differences: the mean log number of needle movements, was reduced in the extended reality group: 0.94 (0.95) vs 1.49 (0.97), P < 0.001; and ideal performance, defined as a single needle insertion through skin and two subsequent needle movements, was higher in the extended reality group, 52% vs 28%, RR 1.50 (0.91 to 2.53). 
 
Conclusions Extended reality hologram-assisted thoracic epidural insertion did not alter GRS scores but reduced needle movements.

Publications arising
McLeod G, McKendrick M, Portelli R et al. Thoracic epidural insertion using extended reality hologram assistance: a randomised trial of regional anaesthesia skill performance on the soft embalmed Thiel cadaver. Accepted for publication British Journal of Anaesthesia Oct 2025
McLeod G, McKendrick M, Portelli R, Husz Z, James G, McKendrick G. Hologram-assisted thoracic epidural insertion in the Thiel soft embalmed cadaver: proof of concept simulation study. British journal of anaesthesia. 2025 Mar;134(3):865-867. Epub 2025 Jan 22. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2024.11.039


Impact: Association of Anaesthetist First prize for Innovation in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain - January 2025
Presented at Victoria and Albert Museum June to August 2025 as part of 50 year anniversary of Ninerwells Hospital

Current status: Further development work under way with intention to apply for EPSRC grant in 2026