Thank you to our more than 5,000 patients who have taken part in a research trial over the last 12 months
We’re proudly marking International Clinical Trials Day (Saturday 20 May) and we want to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of our patients and families, along with our dedicated research teams, for their support and hard work at enhancing the care provided to those we care at our Trust and beyond.
Colleagues right across our Trust work, day in, day out to not only provide the very possible today but also in the future.
To get an idea of the scale of work that’s taken place over the last year alone here’s some facts for you:
- Over the last 12 months a total of 5,113 women, children and young people have been recruited into and participated in clinical trials - the second highest recruitment total for specialist hospitals in the country for non-commercial trials.
- BWC has also recruited into more than 150 trials - the most out of specialist hospital trusts.
- The studies have been hosted right across our Trust, including at our Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital and mental health services.
- BWC has also recruited the third most research participants in the West Midlands.
We’ve had many trials make a national and international impact. The CAP-IT study and FORCE study, both led by Dr Stuart Hartshorn, is set to inform the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
The CAP-IT study has looked into the safety and impact on antimicrobial resistance of duration and dose of amoxicillin treatment for young children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia, while FORCE has looked into using a soft bandage for a forearm fracture, rather than a rigid bandage which is currently used now.
Why are we so passionate about clinical trials? It’s simple. They aim to make things better for those we care and have a human impact.
Liz Adey, Research and Development (R&D) Manager, said: “Clinical Trials Day is a time to thank all our incredible researchers across BWC and most importantly our research participants who volunteer to enthusiastically to help benefit us all.
“Research impacts on us all, even if you are blessed with good health that doesn’t require the use of the NHS. Next time you take a headaches or cold remedy, please have a think about how this was possible. Research would have been the start of its journey with testing the safety and effectives of it to, after a period of time, being available in your local shop. Thank you to everyone involved who are Shaping the Future’.”
Prof Rachel Upthegrove, Research Lead for FTB, said: “Led from engagement with our young, superdiverse, and deprived populations, mental health research in Forward Thinking Birmingham is nationally leading, working with UK and international partners to develop causal evidence and deliver precision interventions for mental health disorders including psychosis, ADHD and depression.”
Dr Paul Patterson, Research Lead for FTB, added: “In response to the high levels of unmet mental health and wellbeing needs in schools and community settings, we have been supporting an evolving programme of applied research to address the fundamentals of early identification, intervention and prevention of mental ill-health. Prevention has always been a core element of Forward Thinking Birmingham's vision and our community programme work is addressing current needs by bringing innovative research into the forefront of peoples lived experience.”
See more young people describing what research is on the ADEPP study page.