Research needs everyone

Here at The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, we conduct world class clinical research to improve the health and care of our local population and beyond. We are passionate that patients and the public are at the heart of the research we conduct and that it is relevant and matters to you.

To do this, we need your help.

There are two ways in which you can help with research:

  • Involvement
  • Participation

What is involvement?

Involvement is working with researchers to shape what research is done, how it is done and how the findings are shared. This results in research with is relevant and which is carried out in a way that is acceptable and understandable to patients. You work alongside the researchers, instead of ‘taking part’ in research. Examples of involvement include

  • Discussing with researchers what topics should be investigated.
  • Giving feedback on information given to people taking part in research to make sure it is understandable.
  • Talking to people about research at an event.

How to get involved

Involving patients and the public in research is pivotal to our vision of achieving the best access, experience and outcomes for our patients and staff, and for our research to make a major impact in improving the care of our local populations and beyond.

There are many ways you can help to shape our research and you can be involved as much or as little as you want. If you are interested in finding out more about shaping research at the Royal Free London, then please email rf-tr.researchinvolvement@nhs.net.

What is participation?

More than 200 research projects take place on our sites each year, and more than thirteen thousand patients took part in our research in the last financial year. When you take part in research you are a "participant". The information collected from participants helps to answer a question.

Examples of participating in or taking part in research can include

  • Filling in a survey to help learn more about a condition or therapy.
  • Trialling a new drug in our clinical research facility.
  • Telling researchers about your experience on a new treatment.
  • Testing a new device to monitor a condition.

How to participate 

Our researchers are always looking for healthy volunteers and people diagnosed with a condition to take part in research, so please email rf-tr.researchinvolvement@nhs.net to find out more

You can also ask your doctor or nurse about any research they are conducting, and if there are any studies for which you may be eligible.

You can also register your details on the National Institute for Health and Care Research website and it will send you information on studies that match your interests.

Research participation stories

Thinking of participating? You may have some questions. We thought it would be useful to hear the experiences of research participants. Please access the videos below to watch Paul and Mauricio’s stories.

Paul's story

Mauricio's story

  1. Better health outcomes for you and other patients
    Evidence suggests patients who receive care in research-active hospitals have better health outcomes than patients who are treated in hospitals that are less research active or do no research at all, so by joining the research community you are actively helping to drive up the standard of healthcare for yourself and other patients.
  2. Access to newer and possibly more effective treatments
    Patients who take part in clinical trials may receive experimental treatments that go on to become a breakthrough for their condition when the trial is complete, and the results are published.
  3. An enhanced patient experience 
    From the care you receive whilst being part of research to the feeling of helping to inform the treatments of tomorrow, our research patients often tell us that their experience of taking part in research at the Royal Free London has been positive. 
  4. Additional interaction with your clinicians
    During trials people often have more regular check-ups, tests and support from doctors and nurses.
  5. Benefit future generations
    By taking part in clinical research, you may not gain any personal clinical benefit, however, you will be helping to establish an evidence base for the treatments of tomorrow which will benefit future generations.

We conduct clinical research across a diverse range of clinical specialities including cancer, liver and kidney failure and transplantation, heart disease, musculoskeletal conditions, infectious diseases and rare disorders such as haemophilia, amyloid and lysosomal storage disorders. 

If you are keen to take part in research but are unsure if the speciality that looks after you is involved, please always ask your clinician or contact the research and development team at rf.randd@nhs.net who will be delighted to guide you.