Members of the Community and Health Research Unit (CaHRU) recently attended the Trent Regional SAPC Spring Conference (13 March 2018) organised by the University of Sheffield. The conference included delegates mainly from the Universities of Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester and Sheffield, as well as professionals from all over our region interested in primary care research and education.
After a very warm welcome from Professor Chris Burton, Dr Austin O’Carroll gave a very inspiring and thought-provoking keynote speech on his work with marginalised groups (especially homeless people) and their challenges 
with accessing healthcare. Delegates then had the opportunity to attend oral presentations of posters and a variety of longer 15′ oral presentations. Dr Zahid Asghar of CaHRU also gave a very well-received oral presentation on his study, entitled “Exploring factors increasing Paramedics’ likelihood of administering Analgesia in pre-hospital pain”. After a much-needed lunch, delegates were split into three smaller workshop groups looking into three distinct subjects: “Resources for grant-writing” (Paul Leighton), “Introducing community/voluntary sector placements to Undergraduate Medical Education” (Joanne Thompson), and “Patient and Public Involvement at the Deep End Yorkshire and Humber: How should we involve patients 
with our research” (Liz Walton). The day came to an end with a great key note speech by Professor Robbie Foy on a ‘real world’ trial of a strategy to promote evidence-based primary care.
Delegates, while waving goodbye to the wonderful St Mary’s Conference Centre – an old church converted into a conference centre- promised to meet again this July in London for the Annual Conference of the Society for Academic Primary Care.
By Despina Laparidou