Randomised point-of-care trials (POCT) or registry trials offer a potentially efficient, convenient and cost-effective alternative to conventional randomised controlled trials. Dr Chris Gale and Professor Neena Modi, Imperial College London, discuss the use of information present in an existing database, registry or electronic patient record (EPR), POCT eliminate the need for duplicative data collection. Neonatal medicine is well placed to use this methodology; an existing national resource, the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD), holds detailed data extracted from the neonatal EPR of all National Health Service neonatal units in England, Wales and Scotland; contributing units are known as the UK Neonatal Collaborative (UKNC).