Bridging Communities and Primary Care: What Works, What Gets in the Way, and What’s Next

At SAPC’s 54th Annual Scientific Meeting in St Andrews, we led a workshop session exploring how primary care staff, researchers, and VCSE organisations can work together to strengthen inclusive research involvement. Our session drew on learning from the Research Engagement Network (REN) programme, which focused on tackling declining participation in primary care research.

We guided participants through the structural and relational barriers communities face, the role of trusted intermediaries, such as research brokers, and the practical actions that make engagement more accessible and relevant. The conversations were honest, thought-provoking, energetic, and grounded in lived experience.

Participants left with clear, actionable steps they can take in their own settings: building stronger relationships with communities, designing research that reflects local realities, and leveraging VCSE partnerships to bridge gaps in trust, culture, and communication.

If you’re ready to reshape how your organisation involves communities in primary care research, partner with us. THG offers practical support, workshop facilitation, and community rooted approaches that help research land where it matters most.