Staff at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are promoting the incredible work of our leading research department through participating in an international awareness day.
International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated every year around the world to help raise awareness of how research studies can help to develop new medical treatments for the future. The day marks the anniversary of James Lind’s first clinical trial in 1747.
The NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility, based at Royal Preston Hospital, opened in November 2017 and is the only NIHR CRF in Lancashire. The centre provides patients in the Lancashire and South Cumbria area with the opportunity to be involved in clinical research across a wide range of health topics and conditions.
To celebrate International Clinical Trials Day, the research team at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals have stands and activities taking place at the main lifts at Preston Hospital around general research, cancer related research in the Rosemere Cancer Centre, and diabetes and chronic conditions research at the assessment and treatment centre at Chorley Hospital.
Activities include:
• Trying out a new device which will transform the way we use nasogastric tubes on a mannequin.
• The chance to speak to the new Baby Beat research midwife
• Opportunities to find out some interesting facts about a new headband medical device in development which could transform the way we diagnose epilepsy
• Find out about the device we are trialling which could change treatment options for children that have issues with bed-wetting
• Take part in a randomised controlled clinical trial (RCT) – ‘Spin the wheel’ style
• The “research trolley” will be making its way around the corridors of Preston Hospital where visitors will be able to speak to the team about how they can get involved in research
• An exciting opportunity to see the excellent NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility at Preston Hospital
Paul Brown, Head of Research and Innovation at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said: “We do research as a way of finding new treatments and improving current practices for our patients. Everything that we do now has been tried and tested in past years in order to become current practice. Therefore it is imperative that we continue to trial and test new treatments, drugs and practices of care to make sure that our patients are getting the best possible care available.”
“We are so lucky to have the NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility which opened in November 2017 and has already made a huge difference to patients in our area.”
Karen Partington, Chief Executive at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals said: “As a leading research centre, research is extremely important to us at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals to enable us to offer our patients and their families the high quality care they deserve. We are extremely proud to play such a big part in innovation and developing ground-breaking treatments for the future.”
You can contact the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust research team by calling 01772 522031 or e-mailing [email protected].
Further information about our research department can be found at http://www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/lancscrf.