Health and social care research simply couldn’t happen without people volunteering their time and commitment, either to be part of a study or to promote research.
Being involved in research doesn't always mean that you need to take part in a clinical trial or study. There are a number of ways you can support our work:
Be Part of Research is an online service that provides an opportunity to help members of the public understand what research is and what it might mean to take part, as well as showing what research is currently happening across the UK.
You can use the search tool to look for current UK research investigating illnesses or conditions that are of interest to you, or to find studies that may be taking place near to where you live.
For example, if you’re looking to take part in social care research, you can use the search bar to find relevant research studies currently looking for volunteers across the UK.
Once you’ve found a study, you can see all the details including who to contact so you can ask to take part. You can also download, save or print the full study details so you can talk to your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional.
17 August 2023
Alexis Faulkner from Surrey talks about her experience of taking part in the REACH Pregnancy Circle Trial.
18 May 2023
Martin Green, an ex-firefighter from Shepperton in Middlesex was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. He tells us about his experience of being on the PROpel trial.
06 March 2023
Mum Emily Taylor talks about why she and her son are taking part in research to protect him, and other children in the future from a dangerous childhood virus.
14 November 2022
Samantha Short, 33 from Kent, and her nine-month-old baby, Jack, are taking part in the HARMONIE Study.
26 September 2022
Research can be life-changing for many people. Here Carol Farrow speaks about having lived her whole life with the skin condition Psoriasis, and found a treatment thanks to research at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
We have an active community of Research Champions across the region - volunteers who are enthusiastic about health research, and share their experiences with members of the public to help us to promote other ways people can be involved.
They do this by:
Research Champions are hosted by an individual NHS organisation, typically a hospital. These organisations will also support their Research Champions by providing training and mentoring.
If you are interested in becoming a Research Champion or finding out more, then get in touch with us at crnkentsurreysussex@nihr.ac.uk.
Read why patients and members of the public from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex have become Research Champions.
The Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES) is a survey given to people who have taken part in NIHR health and care research to find out what their experience is like.
We share the results of the survey with people and organisations who deliver research, and together we look at ways to make experiences better for everyone.
We also use the results to tell people about the benefits of taking part in research, to encourage more people to get involved.
Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, 2,080 people completed the PRES survey. This is about 12% of people who took part in NIHR health and care research in Kent, Surrey and Sussex over this period. The proportion of participants completing the PRES has increased by 166% since the previous year.
The PRES asks people to share reflections on what was positive about their experience. These have been brought together in themes:
“The care from the staff from the start until present has been beyond what I would’ve expected. I’ve always been kept informed about any changes to the study and I am clear from eczema after 45 years.”
“The person who contacted me was friendly, bubbly and polite which really helped put me at ease. I really feel privileged to be able to participate in research that could make positive changes in the future.”
“An appointment by appointment outline - what to expect to happen & how long.”
“I would have preferred to have the blood test and collect the next batch of patches on the same day.”
We will work with our partners to look for ways to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to tell us what their experience was like.
We will support our partners to develop local plans to make experiences better.
We will work with our partners and other organisations to ensure that people who take part in research are informed and updated about the research that they take part in.
Would you like to share your experiences with us? If you would, please get in touch with our PRES lead Madeline Bell madeline.bell1@nhs.net.
If you live in Kent, Surrey and Sussex and have taken part in a research study please email crnkentsurreysussex@nihr.ac.uk for a form, or online link.
Join Dementia Research is a national service that makes it easy for anyone to take part in vital dementia research studies. People with dementia or memory problems, their carers and anyone who is interested can sign up.
Simply register your details and a researcher will be in touch when an appropriate study becomes available. You can decide whether to take part in individual studies, with no obligation.
