Our Trust takes to the streets to celebrate research

An event to celebrate this year’s International Clinical Trials Day is being held in the centre of York where our research staff will be highlighting how clinical trials play a huge role in finding new treatments.

Members of the public can find out more about how the studies help patients and how to take part in clinical trials at the team’s information stand on Parliament Street in York (outside M&S) between 10am and 4pm on Tuesday 17 May.

Staff will be on hand with blood pressure checks, children’s activities and demonstrations to illustrate some of the fascinating trials that have benefitted mankind.

Hilary Campbell, Lead Research Nurse Coordinator, explained: “Healthcare professionals and patients need evidence from clinical trials to know which treatments work best. Without this evidence, there's a risk that people could be given treatments that have no advantage, waste NHS resources, and might even be harmful.

“In York and Scarborough alone we have over 168 studies currently open and a further 71 in long term follow up. These studies cater for many disease areas such as cancer, cardiology, stroke, renal and ophthalmology to name but a few.

“The role of research staff is to ensure that the research is run safely, to the highest possible standard and produces high quality data working to local guidelines and national and international regulations.

“Disease areas we will be particularly focussed on this year are diabetes, dementia and obesity research due to the increasing challenges these areas are having on the health of the nation.

“International Trials Day is a day to celebrate the benefits and successes of clinical research across the world. Please come and meet us and ask about research and how you might get involved.”

The date to celebrate International Clinical Trials Day (20 May) each year was chosen to highlight one of the first trials competed by James Lind in 1747 who carried out experiments to discover the cause of scurvy. He gave sailors different additions to their basic diet such as cider, seawater, garlic, mustard, horseradish and oranges and lemons. Those fed citrus fruits experienced a remarkable recovery which famously led to citrus fruit being provided on all ships many years later.

Anyone interested in research can follow and contribute on twitter on the day on #AskMeAboutResearch and  #WhyWeDoResearch.

13 May 2016