About Us
Built by GPs. Designed for the future of research.
Our Story
Strata PCRA was founded by practising GPs who recognised that Devon and the South West, with its diverse communities, dispersed geography and committed primary care workforce, was an underutilised resource for commercial clinical research.
We built the Alliance to change that. Our network gives pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs reliable, well-governed access to a broad and genuinely representative patient population, delivered by experienced GP investigators who understand both the science and the realities of NHS primary care.
Rigorous governance, commercial responsiveness and operational reliability are at the core of everything we do.
About Us
What Makes Us Different
We are a GP-led alliance of multiple practices and PCNs. The practices in our network are active NHS surgeries with long-standing relationships with their patients: relationships that matter enormously in research recruitment and retention. Our Research Manager works across the network, supporting practices of all sizes and experience levels to deliver studies safely and efficiently.
We work in close association with NIHR Research Delivery Network South West Peninsula, University Hospitals Plymouth and Sentinel Healthcare, giving our network access to secondary care expertise, shared infrastructure, and a genuine continuum of research delivery from primary to secondary care. We also collaborate with, academically, PenARC (Peninsula Applied Research Collaborative) and the Community and Primary Care Research Group (CPCRC) at University of Plymouth.
Research for everyone
Several practices within the Strata network are Deep End practices, serving some of the most deprived and underserved communities in Devon and the South West. We are committed to ensuring that participation in clinical research is accessible to all patients. This directly supports the NIHR's inclusion agenda and means that sponsors working with us can access genuinely diverse patient populations, improving the representativeness and real-world applicability of their research.
“To my amazement I found that this practice is successfully delivering and recruiting to a portfolio CTIMP sponsored by a major global pharmaceutical company. I know very well the complexity and commitment needed to deliver these trials successfully — and this team is doing it.
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Our Values
Connected We are practicing GPs, not intermediaries. Our relationships with patients are real, long-standing and trusted and that makes a measurable difference to recruitment, retention and data quality. When you work with Strata PCRA you're working directly with the clinicians delivering your study, supported by a network of practices and partners across the South West Peninsula.
Responsive We understand that commercial timelines aren't flexible. Our dedicated Research Manager, streamlined governance and experienced investigator network mean we're ready to move when you are, without compromising on quality or compliance.
Inclusive Our network spans urban and rural communities across Devon and the South West, including populations that are typically underserved and underrepresented in clinical research. We actively work to ensure research reaches all demographics, giving sponsors access to a broader, more representative patient population and stronger, more generalisable data.
Dependable We say what we can deliver and we deliver what we say. Honest feasibility, transparent governance, and consistent communication throughout.
Our Board
Dr Kathy Rainsbury - Clinical & Strategic Director, GP Partner Roborough Surgery
Katherine Sarah Ann Rainsbury (0009-0008-4240-7227) - ORCID
Dr Alan Holman - Director of Research Delivery, GP Partner Roborough Surgery
Alan Holman (0009-0000-4869-920X) - ORCID
Dr Peter Dunne - Practice Representative, GP Partner Peverell Park Surgery
Clinical Director Waterside PCN
Peter Dunne (0009-0000-2049-7913) - ORCID
Dr Stephen Pearson - Independent Representative, Consultant in Older Adult Psychiatry, Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Dr S W Pearson (0000-0002-6935-8698) - ORCID
Mrs Emma Jones - Practice Manager Representative, Director of Operations, Beacon Medical Group
Mr Darren Newland - Sentinel Healthcare Representative, Practice Manager Abbey Surgery; Board Member Sentinel CIC
Darren Newland (0009-0005-8461-373X) - ORCID
Ms Lesley Gross - Lay/ Patient Representative
Contact us
Whether you're a sponsor with a study in mind or a practice thinking about joining the Alliance, we'd love to hear from you
Research Manager
For study coordination, feasibility requests and day-to-day enquiries, contact our Research Manager directly or fill in the form: