SURE timeline
The Support Unit for Research Evidence (SURE) was established in 2000 in Cardiff University's Information Services Directorate to continue the development of the Health Evidence Bulletins Wales (HEBW) project. The Bulletins provided summaries of the best available evidence across a range of topic areas and were widely used in healthcare and policy development. SURE celebrated its 10th year of providing healthcare staff and policy makers with reliable, up to date evidence reviews in 2010.
Staff members have authored an extensive list of systematic evidence reviews, and work in partnership with other Cardiff University researchers on a range of projects and teach evidence-based methodologies to students, researchers and health professionals within and beyond the University.
You can find out more about the Unit on the SURE website and read about the anniversary celebrations.
SURE celebrated its anniversary with a specially-designed timeline, which details some of the Unit's key achievements over the past decade. This timeline has been continued since the 10th anniversary celebration to highlight the many ongoing achievements of SURE. The past twelve years have seen SURE grow in size and standing, and the team has an excellent reputation for its work in evidence-based health and social science. Click on a year below to find out more...
- 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | -
2000
- SURE is established.
- Health Evidence Bulletins Wales (HEBW) goes global – and is recommended for use in Australia and New Zealand.
2001
- HEBW is highlighted in Effectiveness Matters, published by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination in the University of York.
- HEBW: Learning Disabilities is published in February and HEBW: Osteoporosis in November.
- Feedback on earlier reviews:
HEBW: Maternal and Early Child Health
"Congratulations on producing such a comprehensive piece of work"
"..very comprehensive and very impressive indeed"
"This is an excellently produced document which will be of considerable help in guiding clinical practice. Can we have copies in England please?"
2002
- The Welsh Child Protection Systematic Review Group is established in collaboration with the University's Department of Child Health.
- Bulletins are searched almost twice as often as key medical database Embase on the Health of Wales Information Service (HOWIS).
- HEBW: Osteoporosis is recommended in The Independent newspaper as a comprehensive evidence source.
- The Health Evidence Bulletins Wales website visited nearly 1000 times per day.
2003
- The Duke of Edinburgh launches the National Electronic Library for Oral Health - a collaboration with the Cardiff University School of Dentistry.
- SURE publishes its first Cochrane Review on the reduction of injuries in the home.
- Health Evidence Bulletins are the third most popular link through from the Trip database of high quality clinical evidence.
2004
- HEBW: Coronary Heart Disease is published to support the implementation of tackling coronary heart disease in Wales.
- SURE becomes an Evidence and Guidance Collaborating Centre for the Health Development Agency (later part of NICE - the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence).
- The Cochrane Information Retrieval Methods Group is registered as a result of an international effort co-ordinated in Cardiff.
- The first Mental Health Research Bulletin is produced for the Welsh Assembly Government.
2005
- The Welsh Child Protection Systematic Review group publishes the first systematic reviews in this area.
- NSPCC information leaflets are produced using findings to provide advice to child health professionals.
- SURE publishes two major methodology reviews with NICE.
- Health Evidence Bulletin Mental Health is published to support the implementation of the revised Adult Mental Health National Service Framework in Wales.
2006
- Millionnaires! SURE award income reaches £1,000,000.
- SURE is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to undertake a series of projects looking at the impact of social factors on health.
- A chapter on the Health Evidence Bulletins is included in Public Health Evidence: Tackling Health Inequalities.
- SURE produces four systemic reviews for NICE obesity guide.
2007
- Professor JA Muir Gray, Chief Knowledge Officer to the NHS, writes to Cardiff University's Vice-Chancellor in praise of the Oral Health Specialist Library and SURE.
2008
- A child protection court case is adjourned so that both sides can check evidence produced by the Welsh Child Protection Systematic Review Group.
- SURE joins the newly registered Cochrane Public Health Group.
- SURE holds its first externally-commissioned workshop on evidence-based methodologies.
2009
- Public Health Wales publish A Practitioner's Guide to Public Engagement for Public Health based on two SURE reviews.
- A centenary exhibition to celebrate the life and legacy of Professor Archie Cochrane features SURE as specialists in evidence-based health and social care research.
- Older People's Wellbeing Monitor for Wales is published, based in part on an evidence review by SURE.
- The Chief Medical Officer highlights SURE's role in providing the Welsh Assembly with best evidence for decision making in his latest Annual Report.
2010
- Double Millionnaires! The SURE cumulative income awarded reaches the £2,000,000 mark.
- SURE's role in teaching evidence-based methodologies grows considerably as team members are commissioned to deliver multiple workshops.
- SURE conducts an evidence review for an updated Children and Young People's Wellbeing Monitor produced by the Welsh Assembly Government.
- Visits to NHS Evidence - oral health top 10,000 per month. Evidence-Based Dentistry to feature quarterly updates from the collection.
- Public Health Wales and SURE publish Suicide Prevention: update of the summary of evidence.
- SURE staff are working on three Cochrane Public Health systematic reviews and an update of a Cochrane Injuries Group review.
- Cardiff University healthcare schools fund SURE to establish a systematic review network – SysNet.