Research

Getting involved in research is a way of helping to improve healthcare.

Research might involve testing new medicines, helping to find new vaccines to protect against diseases and being involved in tests to diagnose health conditions such as diabetes.

If you have experience of living with a health condition, you might want to share your knowledge to help other people with similar conditions. This might be done in a questionnaire or an interview and it helps researchers learn more about the condition and to find new ways to treat it. Equally you can take part if you have an unrelated health condition, or if you don't have a health condition at all and just want to help.

Taking part in research is always voluntary and if you do decide to take part, you can change your mind at any time. Before you decide to take part in any research, you will be given detailed information and the opportunity to ask any questions that you might have.

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All You Need To Know

If you're looking for an opportunity to get involved in research, you can use the link below to find out more about which studies are available to take part in.

if your aged 16 or over, you can register your details with the Be Part of Research programme. They will send you details of suitable studies matching your interests and you can decide if you want to take part.

You will be required to give your agreement to take part before starting any research. If you are under 16 it is common that your parent or legal guardian will also be asked to sign a consent form.

If you are receiving treatment for a condition and you want to join a trial, it's important to discuss this with your doctor first, so that your treatment is not affected.

Visit the Be Part of Research home page
Everyone can take part. Some studies require people who have the condition which is being studied, but often they might also need people who are not affected by the condition, as their health data can be used as a comparison.

Sometimes there will be restrictions based on your age, medical history or gender, so it's important to check the eligibility requirements for a study before you apply.
There are many different types of research, so you (and if you are under 16, your parent or legal guardian) will need to speak to the study team to get details of the study you are interested in.

If you are taking part in a trial for a new treatment, you will be monitored and tested regularly to see how the treatment is working and whether you are experiencing any side effects.

You might need to fill out questionnaires or keep a diary, or to visit the GP or hospital, so find out what is involved before you sign up.
At the end of a study, researchers publish the results and these are made available to everyone who took part. The results do not show anything which identifies the people who took part.

The results of the study will be used to decide if the treatment is made available on the NHS. This will depend on how well the treatment works and whether it represents value for money.

Useful Articles and Guidance

Rebo's Research Adventure

Join Rebo the NHS Research Robot in this fun game which highlights the importance of research. The game can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play.