Many patients choose to take part in research.

In doing so, they may gain access to new treatments. Often, the choice to take part is driven by a desire to help current, or future patients, in a similar situation.

This video explains the important role played by people who take part in research.

The Be Part of Research website explains more about what is involved in taking part in research and the studies taking place in the NHS.

How can I find the research studies available for me?

You can search our list of current studies or visit the Be Part of Research website to find the clinical research studies happening in East Lancashire and across the UK.

Your care team will provide you with information about any studies that might be available for you. They will give you an information leaflet and explain why the study is being done and what it involves for patients. You can ask questions and have time to think about whether to take part.

Can anyone take part?

All research studies have eligibility criteria which define the patients who may (and may not) take part in a study. The eligibility criteria are there to protect patients and make sure that only those who could potentially benefit from taking part in a study are included. For example, women who are pregnant might not be invited to take part in a study of a new medicine, if little is known about the effect of that medicine on an unborn child.

Doctors, together with other members of the research and clinical teams, will consider carefully if a study will be safe and suitable for you. Only if it is, will they invite you to take part.

Is it safe?

All medical treatment carries potential risks or side effects, but patient safety and well-being is a top priority in clinical research. Steps are taken to make sure that any risks associated with clinical research are identified, reduced and managed effectively.

Clinical research studies must be reviewed and approved by the Health Research Authority (HRA). As part of this process, an independent research ethics committee, which includes members of the public, will ensure that the purpose of the study can be justified on ethical grounds, and that the rights and privacy of the patients who take part will be fully protected. The ethics committee looks carefully at the study protocol – a detailed plan of how the research study will be conducted. They will also review the information to be provided to patients, to check that it is clear and accurate.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will also review and provide authorisation for clinical trials involving medicines. The MHRA will inspect these studies to ensure they meet the standards required by the regulations for clinical trials.

The checks on safety do not stop there and you will be closely monitored whilst taking part in a research study.

Do I have to take part?

No. It is entirely your decision and you must take time to consider what is right for you. Your care and treatment will not be affected if you decide that taking part in a research study is not for you.

What will happen if I do decide to take part?

Your doctor or a member of the research or clinical team will talk to you about the study. You'll be given a patient information leaflet which describes why the study is being carried out and what is involved. The research team will be available to discuss the study in more detail and to answer any questions that you may have. Wherever possible, you will be given time to think about whether to take part in the study. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to indicate this in writing by signing a consent form.

What happens next may vary and each study is different. You may need to attend extra clinic visits or have extra tests, take new treatments or different combinations of treatments or you may be asked to answer a questionnaire or to keep a diary at home.

The research team will be able to provide information on what happens in each study, including practical details such as where to collect your medication, whether you’ll need help from friends or family or to take time off work to attend appointments. Please ask them for more information.

Will my health information be treated in confidence?

Regulations govern the use of personal data in healthcare and also in clinical trials. Researchers are aware of these regulations and take steps to ensure that your personal data remains confidential and is accessed in accordance with the regulations.

The arrangements for collecting, sharing and storing information about you will be described in the patient information leaflet for the study and you will need to provide consent – a written agreement – for your information to be used.

The research team will be able to answer any questions you may have about the use of your personal information in a research study.

For further information see the section of our website 'how we use your information'

Will I be paid for taking part?

Healthy volunteers may receive payment for taking part in clinical research but it is not considered ethical for patients to receive payment. However, some studies do offer travel expenses to assist with the cost of attending additional appointments for the purpose of the study.

What if I change my mind?

You have a right to change your mind and withdraw from a research study at any time. You don’t have to give your doctor or the research team a reason why. The research team might ask if you are happy for the data already collected to continue to be used in the study. Again, this is your choice.

The best quality clinical research involves patients and the public, helping researchers to develop and improve their ideas for research. It could be helping to design a research study, helping to write information about a study that is clear and easy for patients to understand, collecting research data, or helping to make decisions about which research studies should receive funding.

Organisations that support patients, the public and researchers to work together

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

The NIHR is funded through the Department of Health and Social Care to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR website explains how members of the public can get involved in clinical research.

Involve

The NIHR funds Involve which supports public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research.

People in Research 

People in Research is an online national database that allows people to search for opportunities for public involvement in research.

Clinical research starts with a question about the cause of disease or how best to provide care or treatment for patients. To gather the evidence to answer these questions, health professionals will carry out a research study.

What does it involve?

All clinical research involves the collection of research data. The data is analysed, reviewed and published in medical journals. It may be the data from a single study or from a number of studies considered together, that will change how care and treatment is provided.

There are different types of clinical research study. Some involve in-depth interviews with patients about their experiences of disease or care. Others may look at new ways to test for the presence of disease. Clinical trials are research studies which look at new treatments to see whether they are safe and work well. They may also look at the use of current treatments when they are used in different ways or in different combinations.

Why is it important?

The NHS knows that research is important. It leads to new treatments for patients, changes the way healthcare is delivered, brings potential benefits for individual patients who take part in research studies and helps to improve the health of the nation overall.

That’s why research is part of the NHS constitution. It’s a commitment to the promotion, conduct and use of research to improve the current and future health and care of the population.

Our researchers are the same health professionals who look after patients at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. They understand the need for the best evidence about new treatments and ways of providing care. Our researchers come from all clinical areas. They contribute to national and international research and design and carry out their own studies. Many are active in local, regional and national research groups.

Academic Surgical and Perioperative Medicine Unit

For information on the Academic Surgical and Perioperative Medicine Unit, please follow this link.

BRIDGES: Blackburn Research Innovation Development Group in General Surgery

For information on the BRIDGES Group please follow this link.

Women and Children's Health Research Team

For information on the Women and Children's Health Research Team, please follow this link.

If you would like further information about the work of our researchers, please email research@elht.nhs.uk

Who has access to my personal information for research?

The research team at East Lancashire Hopsitals NHS Trust, is part of the clinical team that care for you. They complete regular training on information governance and access and use the personal data of patients in accordance with all applicable guidance and regulations.

How is my personal information used in health research?

The research team may review your hospital records to see if you can take part in research. 

If you decide to take part in a research study, and agree this by completing and signing a research consent form, information about you will be collected, stored securely and shared with the research sponsor.

The sponsor is the organisation which takes overall responsibility for the research. The sponsor could be an NHS Trust, a university or a pharmaceutical company.

What information is collected and how long it is stored for will vary from study to study. The details are outlined in an information leaflet which is given to every patient who is invited to take part in the research.

A research ethics committee will review the patient information leaflet and the details about how patient information will be collected, stored and used, during and after the research has been completed. This ensures that the collection and use of personal information for the purpose of the research study is necessary, ethical and legal.

How can I find out more?

When you are invited to take part in a research study you will be given a patient information leaflet. This gives information on what personal information will be collected and how it will be used during and after the study takes place.

If you have any questions, you can find out more by asking the research team or your doctor.

You can also direct questions to the Research, Development and Innovation Department or the Trust Data Protection Officer.

The Trust has a privacy notice for service users which explains how your personal information may be used.

For further information about how personal information may be used in health research, please visit the Health Research Authority website.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) asks NHS Trusts to publish performance data for their research studies. The data for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is published in the table below. 

For more information about NHS research performance, please visit the NIHR website.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network supports a portfolio of clinical research studies. For any study that is eligible or applying for Network support, dedicated advisors can help with study feasibility, regulatory approvals, site identification, costings, and set up and delivery to time and target.

Letter from the NIHR: Clinical Research Network – Study Support Service

For any study that is eligible or applying for Network support, whether commercially or non-commercially sponsored, we offer a range of services across the research pathway. Our dedicated advisors are here to help in areas such as study feasibility, regulatory approvals, assistance with site identification, costings, set up and delivery to time and target.  

Our infrastructure provides unparalleled access to, and understanding of, the NHS research environment. Regardless of the location, study type, study size or therapy area of the research, we will provide consistent and high quality support.

To find out more about the Study Support Service visit our website https://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/can-help/study-support-service/ and watch a video explaining more about the new service https://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/

For further information or guidance please use StudySupport.CRNGreaterManchester@nihr.ac.uk