The Primrose Programme of Research

Latest research

Working with UCLPartners, NIHR ARC North Thames, York and Humber ARC, the team won research funding to evaluate an adapted version of Primrose (2021-2026).

See the UCLP-Primrose tab for more information

Primrose was a NIHR funded programme of research to improve the assessment and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia.

We delivered a suite of studies to improve CVD risk management between 2011 and 2019.

Our questions included:

• How do we best assess CVD risk in people with SMI?
• What are the best intervention components to manage CVD risk in people with SMI?
• Can a nurse led/HCA intervention be successfully delivered across UK primary care?
• Is such an intervention effective and cost effective?
• Do medications such as statins help to prevent CVD risk in people with SMI?

The final NIHR report of the whole Primrose programme is available below:

Osborn et al. (2019): Primary care management of cardiovascular risk for people with severe mental illnesses: the Primrose research programme including cluster RCT

The scientific summary, with all main findings can be found at: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/pgfar/pgfar07020#/scientific-summary

Programme team

The original NIHR programme was led by Prof David Osborn and researchers at University College London in partnership with Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Rethink Mental Illness/McPin.

Co-investigators were also based at Kings College London, Imperial College London and the University of Southampton.

Want to read more? 

Navigating the UCLP-Primrose tabs:  

• The UCLP-Primrose (2021-2026) tab provides an overview of what UCLP-Primrose is, where this service is being delivered, research around UCLP-Primrose.  
• The UCLP-Primrose pathway tab introduces the UCLP-Primrose diagram of how support is offered to patients through the service.
• The UCLP-Primrose research tab collates the outputs from research investigating the implementation of UCLP-Primrose (2021-26).
• The WHOLE-SMI tab provides details of a sister project, based at Newcastle University.
• The Primrose-A (2019-2022) tab documents the co-produced adaption to Primrose (Primrose-A) which was delivered and evaluated in London.
• The Primrose (2010-2019) tab provides information about the research underpinning UCLP-Primrose, including the development of Primrose and the findings from the Primrose clinical trial.