Case study: Glenn Saunders: Your path in research

Glenn Saunders is a Clinical Trials Officer based in the R&D Department at Weston General Hospital, where he has worked for 11 years. He works on a cross section of cancer and non-cancer studies and has previously worked at the trials unit in the Oncology Centre in Bristol. He has been a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) facilitator for the last three years and is the GCP lead facilitator for the Clinical Research Network West of England.

How did you get into research?

Like lots of people I stumbled into research. When I was working at the children’s hospital in the late 1990s I completed a study looking at paediatric pre-surgery clinics. I also helped on another study at the oncology centre in Bristol, looking at complementary therapies for children with cancer. My first ‘proper’ role in research was as a Clinical Trials Coordinator, supporting cancer speciality studies at the oncology centre. I then moved down to Weston General.

Which studies do you find the most interesting and why?

The studies I like doing the most are the intensive care studies and the studies which take place in theatre. These are generally very quick studies and can last anywhere between five to seven days. But I think the reason I like these studies is that theatres are part of the hospital I don’t normally go into. The teams are all extremely friendly and theatres are generally a nice place to work.

What would you say to staff thinking of getting involved in research?

I would definitely say to all staff ‘go for it’. It is interesting and the work is very varied. No two days are the same. I also would say that it is very rewarding, especially when you see patients over a number of years. We follow some of our IBD patients over a course of three years and it is lovely to still be able to catch up with them throughout that time. It is also nice to see the patient journey where they begin of being quite unwell to helping to find a treatment that works for them.

What difference does research make to your Trust?

Research gives patients a different treatment option. Research also gives us the opportunity to find out about different treatments and to see if different treatments work. As a result, patients have far better outcomes because of the research that we are doing.

What would you say to patients thinking of getting involved with research?

That’s an interesting question! I think the concept of being treated like a ‘guinea pig’ is false and really not the case. Research studies are carried out to see if there really is a difference we can make to patient care. Taking part in research is entirely the patient’s choice; however, patient participation is essential in order to move forward with research to see if we can make a difference to patients in the future. It may not benefit the patient at the moment but it could benefit someone else in the future.

How do you think research has developed over the years?

Massively! Even though I have been working in research since 2002, there have been huge improvements. When I was working with cancer patients, some of the leukaemia treatments used very toxic combinations of chemotherapy. Treatments for this have since become kinder. Research has massively improved patient wellbeing and treatment and will continue to do so in the future.

What are your hopes for the future of research?

I hope that research continues to expand and that every patient has the opportunity to take part in research.