International Clinical Trials Day – 18 May

International Clinical Trials Day (ICTD) is celebrated each year on 18 May to recognise the vital role that clinical research plays in improving health and care. The date marks the first recorded clinical trial in 1747, led by James Lind, which helped establish fair testing of treatments and laid the foundations of modern clinical research.

Clinical research is essential to developing new treatments, improving patient care, and ensuring that healthcare services are based on the best available evidence. By promoting research, we create opportunities for patients, families, and communities to be involved in shaping the future of healthcare, while ensuring research reflects the diverse populations we serve.

To mark International Clinical Trials Day, we will be holding a public engagement event at Hackney Central Library on Monday 18 May, 10am to 3pm. The event will provide an informal opportunity for members of the public to learn more about clinical research, ask questions, and find out how to get involved.

Colleagues will be on hand throughout the day to talk about research, share information, and highlight the importance of participation in clinical trials.

Location: Hackney Central Library (next to the Town Hall)
Date: Monday 18 May
Time: 10am - 3pm

No need to book, just drop by!

Research & Innovation

Homerton Research & Innovation logo

What is Healthcare research?

Healthcare research is how we learn more about illnesses and people’s health.

It can help find the best type of treatment for disease and illness.

Why should I take part?

You could help find the best ways to make people’s health better, help doctors find new treatments and stop people getting ill in the future.

What will happen if I take part in healthcare research?

There are lots of different types of research.

Taking part in research can involve different activities. If you take part, it might mean:

  • More visits to the doctors or hospital.
  • Trying new medicines.
  • Having scans.
  • Having blood test.
  • Answering questions with your doctor or the research team or taking part in questionnaires.

Do I have to take part?

No, it is your choice whether you want to take part and you can stop taking part whenever you want.

Why is diversity important in healthcare research?

The UK population is made up of a wide range of communities, groups, and individuals from different backgrounds. To ensure that the whole population can benefit from research, there needs to be an understanding of how interventions work on different groups of people. Including a range of people in research provides an understanding of the safety and effectiveness of drugs, devices and information about an illness or condition across different groups.

 

Research performance

The government wishes to see a dramatic and sustained improvement in the performance of providers of NHS services in initiating and delivering clinical research. The aim is to increase the number of patients who have the opportunity to participate in research and to enhance the NHS attractiveness as a host for research.

‘Performance in Initiating and Delivering Clinical Research’ (PID) is an initiative by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), and means all clinical research studies being conducted by us are subject to new performance benchmarks, in initiation and delivery time. Further detailed information can be found here: www.nihr.ac.uk

  • Initiation: It should take no more than 70 days from the receipt of a valid research application by the R&I department to the recruitment of the first patient.
  • Delivery: For all commercial trials, the agreed target number of patients must be recruited in the agreed timeframe.

We are required to submit quarterly reports to the NIHR, to view these, please follow the quick links at the side of the webpage.

Where to find us

The Research and Innovation office provides support in all aspects of the research process. If you would like to contact us, you can email us on: huh-tr.riadmin@nhs.net. Please note, we work Monday - Friday, between 9am-5pm.

If you would like to keep up to date with what we are doing on Twitter, you can find us on @HUH_Research

Alternatively, our postal address is as follows:

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust,
Yellow Roof Top Offices,
Homerton Row,
London,
E9 6SR