Are you a patient, carer or member of the public who wants to get involved in research? Below are a number of ways you can!
● Use the search tool to find current research studies happening right now
● Find studies taking place near you
● Filter results easily by age, health condition etc
● Use the site on desktop or mobile
● Download, save or print the full study details so you can talk to your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional.
Once you’ve found a study, you can see all the details including who to contact and ask to take part.
Whether you have been diagnosed with a condition or not, everyone can take part in research.
Register with Join Dementia Research so that you can be told when a study starts in your area and the researchers are looking for people just like you. There's no obligation to take part in any study, but by registering, you’ll find out when new opportunities become available. The service is delivered in partnership by the NIHR, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer Scotland.
Read our Accessibility Statement.
As part of improving the research experience of those who take part in research, we approach patients and their carers on an ongoing basis, asking them to tell us about their experience of taking part in a research study; both the good and the not so great.
The Participant in Research Experience Survey is now open all year round. We hope you will give trial participants the opportunity to give their feedback at the end of their trial, by asking them to complete the survey online or by giving them the paper survey.
For those who prefer to complete the survey online, these may be useful when it comes to informing participants of the short study title and study number (IRAS or CPMS) which must be added to each survey.
Your local raw data and results can now be viewed live on the PRES dashboard via the North Thames Open Data Platform (ODP) app.
You need an ODP account to access the dashboard. If you do not have an ODP account, please visit the ODP site to set up your account.
If you have any questions, please contact us: crn.norththames@nihr.ac.uk
The online Participant in Research Experience Surveys for 2023/24 are available below:
Participants
Please click on the relevant link below to complete the survey online.
You won’t be asked for your name or personal details and anything you say will be kept private and no one will know which answers are yours.
Online survey for ADULTS and over 16s
Online survey for children 0-6 years old
Online survey for children 7-11 years old
Online survey for children 12-15 years old
For copies of stick-and-fold copies of the survey, email ppie.crnnorththames@nihr.ac.uk.
Site staff should inform participants of the answers to the following three questions before participants complete the surveys:
Total CRN Coordinating Centre (NIHR CRN CC) national adult responses: 33,659
Total national children and young people’s PRES responses: 1,860
CRN North Thames PRES 2023/2024 target: 1,650
CRN North Thames total responses: 2,381
CRN North Thames adult responses: 2,232
CRN North Thames children and young people’s responses: 149
It was very simple to understand and straight forward with what would be happening. The staff were very nice and made it a pleasant process. Mid and South Essex participant
Good explanations and a very pleasant manner. Relaxed atmosphere and efficient delivery of questions and conversation. NELFT participant
The research midwife in particular went the extra mile to ensure all my needs were accommodated and it was very valuable to be seen by the same team throughout pregnancy so far. Homerton University Hospital Trust participant
Staff here are always professional, kind and courteous. They make sure I understand every part and use language I understand. My visits to clinic are always a pleasure. RFL participant
View a full copy of the 2023/24 CRN North Thames PRES report here.
26 June 2023
" It’s not just about us, it’s about the future and your children’s future. "
16 June 2023
Daniel talks about his journey into research when first being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
15 June 2023
A former nurse has urged others to get involved in research after participating in a diabetes trial.
14 June 2023
Jordan Downes shares his experience of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and explains why he chose to tackle it with research.
13 June 2023
Research participant Rosie Vincent talks about the part diabetes has played in her life
Graham Reeder, a former teacher in Southend, was experiencing symptoms such as swollen fingers and difficulty getting to sleep, before eventually being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
"Being on the trial was an amazing experience. I can understand people having reservations but I am very much one of those types of people who knows that they (the staff) are giving them (the medication) to me because they know what they are doing, and I put a lot of trust in these people, as I hope parents put a lot of trust in me when I was teaching their children.”
Research Champions help to raise public awareness about research and help to address problems, such as the lack of diversity in research participants.
By talking about research in everyday places - GP surgeries, hospital waiting rooms, community groups, patient groups, social media and amongst family and friends - we aim to make sure that everybody knows what health and care research is, what it involves and why it matters.
The role of Research Champion is nationally-coordinated and the initiative aims to build a bigger and more diverse patient research community, to reduce barriers to research participation and to support the effective and efficient delivery of research.
Research Champions include patients, carers, members of the public, and people who have taken part in a research trial before, as well as those who haven’t. Something that they all have in common is that they are passionate about getting more people involved in research so that we can develop better care and treatment for everyone.
We are keen to recruit new Research Champions and are looking for all partner trusts across North Thames to put forward names of potential Research Champions. If you have someone in mind, please contact Chidi Onyejiaka, our PPIE Manager at chidimma.onyejiaka@nihr.ac.uk
To ensure the safety of our Research Champions we are currently developing a new remote Research Champions' induction and will be releasing details soon.
Have a look at these resources for Research Champions too:
and for further details, visit the national Research Champions page on the NIHR website.
