Clinical Research Assistant | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Ipswich is seeking an experienced Health Care Assistant for their busy Diabetes Research Unit. The ideal candidate will possess phlebotomy skills and demonstrate excellent communication and IT abilities. Responsibilities include maintaining patient confidentiality, assisting with clinical trials, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. This role offers generous benefits and a supportive work environment focused on high-quality patient care.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Unsocial hours payments

27 days annual leave on commencement

Access to NHS discounts

Staff Health and Wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Common sense and a commitment to high standards of care.
• Desirable knowledge of research practice and governance principles.

Responsibilities

• Maintain patient and research subject confidentiality.
• Assist in clinical trial administrative duties.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Enter accurate data in patient Case Report Forms.
• Monitor and resolve data queries.
• Maintain trial site file and archival research data.

Skills

Phlebotomy skills

Excellent communication skills

Excellent IT skills

Attention to detail

Adaptability

Job description

Are you enthusiastic, motivated and committed with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills and an interest in research?

We are looking for an experienced Health Care Assistant or practitioner to support the busy Diabetes Research Unit at Ipswich Hospital. This post holder needs to have common sense, attention to detail, practical skills, adaptability and a “can do” attitude with an absolute commitment to high standards of care are required.

It is essential the post holder have phlebotomy skills and he/she is able to work calmly and methodically whatever the surroundings.

Qualifications

Good Clinical Practice, study specific protocol training, specimen processing training will be provided, due to the nature of the role, excellent IT skills are essential. The role will be a patient facing role, therefore excellent communication skills are essential. Knowledge and understanding of research practice and the ability to apply research governance principles to practice is desirable.

The Research and Development department at ESNEFT hosts a variety of studies such as the NIHR portfolio, locally developed (ESNEFT) & commercial. The research ranges from simple observational studies to interventional clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (CTIMPs.) This is an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic multi-disciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Maintain patient and research subject confidentiality at all times
• Assist research teams in administrative duties for clinical trial start-up, initiation, maintenance and study closure.
• Work with the Research department to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Assist in the entry of accurate and timely documentation of data in patient Case Report Forms (CRF’s) either on paper or electronic versions.
• Assist the research team and monitors the resolution of raised data queries.
• Assist the research teams in the maintenance of the trial site file by e.g.: Collating and filing paperwork, obtaining signatures for the delegation log.
• Archive research data following information and research governance policies.
• Assist the research team in the entry and maintenance of accurate information on databases such as the patient recruitment database.

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.

We are the largest NHS organisation in East Anglia, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Benefits

• Generous pension scheme
• Unsocial hours payments (where applicable)
• 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata)
• Access to a range of NHS discounts
• Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offers a variety of services

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

This advert closes on Friday 23 Jan 2026