What is health and social care research?
- potential new treatments for all health conditions;
- current services and treatments
- patients’ care experiences.
It looks at new kinds of medications or devices, or it can be based on surveys or interviews.
NHS Grampian has a website where you can learn more about research taking place locally.
https://grampianclinicalresearch.com/
How do I take part in research?
A lot of different clinical research studies are happening in Grampian. If you are interested in taking part as a participant, you can:
- Ask your healthcare provider
- Visit grampianclinicalresearch.com/trials
- Visit bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/
- Take a look at relevant charity websites, as they advertise relevant studies
- Check for opportunities on social media
Can I help research in other ways?
Patients and the public can help research in other ways, rather than taking part in a clinical trial.
For example, you can:
- Become a patient partner or a member of a patients and public involvement group (PPI), to provide a patient/public view on research
This role often involves reading research information and sharing your opinion. Sometimes a regular time commitment might be required (e.g. a meeting every few months) or it could just be a one-off involvement
If you’d like more information on this, or would like to volunteer please visit:
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) | The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
- Become a Member of an Ethics Committee
These role requires taking part to regular meetings. Research plans are reviewed and discussed with the wider committee members at set meeting times. NHS Grampian has two NHS Ethics Committees which meet once a month.
If you’d like more information on this, or would like to volunteer please visit:
NHS Grampian North of Scotland Research Ethics Service (NoSRES) - Research & Development
- Offer ad-hoc support
Some of the above opportunities may require a more regular commitment, but there can be also one-off meetings or surveys which ask for public input. You can keep in touch with these via social media or find out more by contacting us at gram.ppa@nhs.scot.
Why does NHS Grampian care about research?
Research should be carried out with people, for the people. Ensuring that research incorporates patients and public voices from the early stages should guarantee better and more meaningful research.
There are UK- wide Public Standards which we aim to achieve in our research.
Clinical Research Regulation For United Kingdom | ClinRegs (nih.gov)