Nottingham Research and Advice for Depression (NRAD)

The Nottingham Research and Advice for Depression (NRAD) clinic offers specialist one-off assessments and information on relevant research opportunities for patients currently in primary care, who are not responding to usual management for depression. This broad concept of Difficult to Treat Depression (DTD), includes patients who may have bipolar depression, or other complex presentations. The specific aims are:

• To provide opportunities for research involvement for patients with depression or other mood disorders, who are currently outside secondary care mental health services.
• To facilitate research delivery, particularly for studies in which patients can or should be managed in primary care.
• To provide a diagnostic assessment of patients referred by primary care clinicians with difficult to treat depression.
• To provide management advice for patients referred by primary care clinicians with difficult to treat depression.
• To improve the care and access to research involvement for patients in collaborating primary care sites, especially those in more deprived or underserved areas or belonging to underserved groups.
• To provide training opportunities for staff in both research delivery and clinical assessment.
• To facilitate the implementation of innovative assessment and treatment strategies.

Further detail can be found in the service specification.

 

Contact and find us

• Telephone: 0115 844 0547
• Email: SDSGeneralOffice@nottshc.nhs.uk with 'NRAD referral' as subject heading.
• Address: St Ann's House, 114 Thorneywood Mount, NG3 2PZ

Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm

 

How to refer

Referral criteria

Patients who are currently in primary care, with Difficult to Treat Depression, 18 years or older, willing to consider relevant research opportunities, not currently open, or with an active referral, to an equivalent service in the Trust (e.g. an LMHT); and where there is an existing collaboration with the patient's Primary Care Network (PCN). Currently open PCNs (as of December 2025) are listed below:

• Ashfield North PCN
• Raleigh PCN
• Belvoir Medical Group (Rushcliffe PCN)
• Radford and Mary Potter PCN

 

Referral process

Referral is usually via GPs, though other professionals in primary care (e.g. pharmacists, nurses) may also refer where there is an agreement in place with specific practices or PCNs. Referrals should be through headed letter stating main diagnosis, that the patient is willing to be informed of research opportunities relevant to their condition, other relevant medical or psychiatric conditions, any known risk issues and treatments tried for depression so far - sent by NHS email to SDSGeneralOffice@nottshc.nhs.uk with 'NRAD referral' as subject heading. There is no separate referral form.

Referrals may not be made for anyone currently under equivalent Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust community services, or by clinicians in Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust.

 

Information for health professionals

Key contacts

Consultant Psychiatrist: Dr Neil Nixon