Information for patients and the public
about COVID-19 research
We are here to help you find out about health and social care research that is taking place across the UK.
We are here to help you find out about health and social care research that is taking place across the UK.
Taking part in research is particularly important at this time. Travel to research appointments is considered essential travel. Please continue to access healthcare research or other healthcare services, even at this time of extra COVID-19 restrictions, unless you hear otherwise.
There are a number of studies taking place into COVID-19, including vaccines as well as many other health conditions. Whatever research is right for you, your healthcare team have put in place changes to keep people safe. Check this site or speak to your health professional for updates on opportunities to take part in research, as things are changing quickly.
about COVID-19 research
in COVID-19 research
Information for Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
Information on what research teams are doing to keep you safe and what is being done to help protect you from COVID-19 and other potential risks during your research appointment.
Participating in research is not just about taking pills. Some research studies simply require you to complete a survey, attend a group with other patients, talk about something, try a new cream or treatment. There really is something for everyone. Explore our site to find more.
Find out about the opportunities available such as learning about research through a course, donating a sample to the NIHR BioResource bank to help research for chronic health conditions, giving feedback on research study design or registering your interest in helping Dementia Research.
An evidence-based programme for care home residents living with dementia improved their quality of life and reduced agitation and other symptoms of dementia. A major study across the UK found that the Well-being and Health for People Living with Dementia (WHELD) programme was effective and cost less to deliver than usual care. The WHELD programme ...
Falls among residents in UK care homes are commonplace. A new study examined whether multiple medications and drugs that act on the brain may contribute to the risk. The research, which included 84 UK care homes, found that residents taking multiple medicines had an increased risk of falling. Risk was also increased with a regular ...
Young adult carers are more likely to be unemployed, to have lower earnings from paid work, and to have worse physical and mental health than other young people. A major study found that these negative effects on young carers aged 16-25 years, also cost the UK economy one billion pounds every year. The study is ...
Being prescribed many medicines places a huge, often hidden, burden on older people in the community and on their families or carers. This affects whether older people take medicines incorrectly or not at all, which puts them at risk of harm and wastes medicine. The MEMORABLE (Medication Management in Older people: Realist Approaches Based on ...
An NHS England programme to integrate health and social care services slowed the rise in emergency admissions to hospital among care home residents but did not achieve its other aims. It was hoped that integrating health and social care would ease the growing pressure upon services and reduce the time people spend in hospital. For ...
People with thyroid cancer who were asked to adjust their diet ahead of treatment, were confused about what they needed to do. The first UK study of these patients’ experiences found that many restricted their diet more and for longer than is advised. Some reported conflict or distress associated with the diet and were anxious ...
The number of 12-to-17 year olds prescribed antidepressants in England more than doubled between 2005 and 2017. This is one of the striking changes seen in a new study into the use of antidepressants by children and young people. It also found that antidepressant prescriptions for 5-to-11 year olds decreased between 1999 and 2017. Antidepressants ...