The EVIDEM programme: a test for primary care research in London?

KEY MESSAGES: The emphasis in NHS Research and Development is shifting towards the 'D' component, and primary care is better placed than traditional academia to use the opportunities that this shift will create.Multidisciplinary working and collaboration between institutions that are competitive are possible, and may even be easier to achieve through primary care because of its collaborative traditions.The fragmentary nature of London's health and social services, and the diversity of the population, are a challenge to all research and development work.The bureaucracy of research governance, and the risk aversion that it contains, are a problem for research and development. WHY THIS MATTERS TO ME: This paper matters to me for two reasons, one to do with applied research and the other to do with ageing and neurodegenerative diseases.