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Take part

Take part

Clinical research studies and trials help us understand health better and develop new ways of treating and managing conditions, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer.

With hundreds of studies happening at any one time across a wide range of conditions, we are able to offer many people the opportunity to take part in research.

Our research could not happen without patients and the public and, each year, we work with thousands of volunteers to conduct research and improve healthcare.

There are three ways you can take part in our research:

Patient

Taking part as a patient

If you are a patient at one of our hospitals, you may be invited to take part in a study or trial. It is up to you whether or not you wish to get involved. If you decide not to participate, it will not affect your treatment in any way.

If you are interested in taking part, speak with your doctor or talk to one of our grey-uniformed research nurses to see if there are any studies or trials you are eligible to join.

You can also search for a trial or study currently recruiting patients here.

If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us by calling 023 8120 4989 or email CRFstudyteam@uhs.nhs.uk.

Healthy volunteer

Taking part as a healthy volunteer

As well as patients, many of our clinical research trials and studies aim to involve ‘healthy volunteers’ – people who are interested in contributing towards research but are generally healthy or do not have the condition or disease being investigated.

Healthy volunteers help researchers better understand a variety of health conditions as their information can be compared with people who have a specific disease or condition.

You can also search for a trial or study currently recruiting patients here.

In Southampton, we have a database of healthy volunteers and send information about trials and studies they might be able to take part in. If you would like to join this database please contact the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility (details below).

If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us by calling 0238 120 4989 or email CRFstudyteam@uhs.nhs.uk.

PPI

Help shape our research

We want to improve our clinical research processes, our research participants’ experiences and make sure that our trials and studies provide maximum benefit to people’s health – to do this, we need your help.

Involving people in our clinical research is about more than asking them to take part in a trial or study. Volunteers also help to shape our clinical research activities – what we do and how we do it – and we call this Patient and Public Involvement (PPI). This includes:

  • meeting up to discuss ideas for clinical research trials and studies

  • reviewing clinical research information sheets and posters

  • feeding back ideas on how to promote clinical research trials and studies and their results

  • helping us identify research priorities

  • taking part in a clinical research trial or study steering group

 

We work with a range of people to shape our clinical research activities, including people with experience of a particular condition (as a patient, family member or carer), people who have taken part in a trial or study, and those who have an interest in clinical research. 

*Currently all of our activities are being done online due to social distancing requirements. This can be over the phone, email or virtual meeting platforms. We provide support and step-by-step guidance to individuals who are unfamiliar with the technology.

If you have any questions or would like more information about PPI, please contact us by calling 023 8120 4989 or emailing PublicInvolvement@uhs.nhs.uk 

  • How would I be involved?
    Opportunities to help shape our research are varied and will depend on your interests. Activities include: completing surveys or voting in online polls (this can be done remotely/at home) attend group meetings and share your ideas and opinions, or help write and comment on information sheets for participants work directly with our researchers and advise them on how to talk or write about their research findings in a way that is easy to understand
  • How much time will it take?
    We understand people have different amounts of free time they’re able to give to PPI so we are very flexible in terms of how often you get involved. We will invite you to contribute to projects that match your interests – some may be one-off activities that could take an hour whilst others will require more commitment, such as attending group meetings every couple of months. However, you can decide which opportunities fit your schedule.
  • What’s in it for me?
    There are many reasons why people choose to get involved with our PPI activities. You may want to share your health experiences, or give back to the NHS to help improve the lives of others. Or, you may want to develop your own skills or are just passionate about healthcare issues. People who are considering a career in healthcare find interacting with researchers and staff particularly useful.
  • How are young people involved?
    We have a PPI group for young people aged 8-18 and another for young adults aged 16-24. We meet regularly with both groups to get their ideas and opinions on research projects directly aimed at young people.
  • Will I get paid?
    We are grateful for the time and effort our PPI members give and are able to reimburse costs of taking part in our PPI activities – for example, travel and carer or childcare costs.
  • How do I find out more?
    The PPI team can provide more information, including how to become a PPI member, and answer any questions you have. You can contact the team by calling 023 8120 4989 or emailing PublicInvolvement@uhs.nhs.uk You can also join our mailing list (if you’re aged 16 years and over) to receive updates on our PPI activities and opportunities to get involved. If your child is interested in joining one of the PPI groups for young people, contact us to find out more.
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