Finchampstead Surgery is involved in medical research and from time to time you may be approached to take part. Taking part in research is voluntary: you can freely accept or decline, and this will not affect the care that you receive in any way. Even if you agree to take part, you can still withdraw at any time, without having to provide justification. Withdrawing from a study will not affect the care we provide for you.

All research projects carried out at Finchampstead Surgery have been thoroughly checked and approved by the relevant health authorities & ethical committees ensuring it is appropriate and safe to perform. You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve and will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details about a study. All projects are fully compliant with all UK laws (incl. GDPR).

• You may receive a text message,emailor a letter in the post offering you the opportunity to take part in a study (the letter will include some information about the project).
• Your doctor or nurse may also discuss research opportunitiesduring your usual appointment.
• You may also be approached by a member of the study team in the waiting area; be assured that this person and their activity will have been approved by the practice.

What you will be asked to do as part of the research will vary from study to study. The Patient Information Sheet for each project will detail what is expected of you. The study team is also there to answer all questions you may have.

Things you may want to know

• Participation in research is entirely voluntary and you have the right to say ‘No’. Nobody will put pressure on you to take part in research if you do not wish to. You do not have to give us a reason if you decide not to take part.
• Your care and your relationship with your doctor or nurse will not be affected in any way if you decide not to take part in a research study.
• You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve. The practice will usually provide you with a patient information sheet; then, if you agree to take part, the study team will explain the study to you in more detail and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about it.
• Nobody from outside this practice will be given your contact details or have access to your medical records without your prior consent. If you do agree to take part in a study, you will be asked to sign a consent form – this will clearly state which parts of your notes (if any) may be looked at for the purposes of the research.
• You will not be asked to take part in a large number of studies. Most researchers are very specific about the criteria that people need to meet in order to enter their study. Usually this means that only a relatively small number of patients at the practice will be suitable for any one study.

What if I don’t want to get involved in research?

We recognise that some people may not want to receive information about research studies by post or text message. If you do not want to be contacted about research studies that we may run at the practice in the future, please let us know. If you change your mind at a later date, you can still opt back in at any time

To opt out of participating in any research studies visit the
NHS Your Data Matters website to set your preferences

Research in the NHS in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Research (National Institute for Health and Care Research)

The NHS is committed to the innovation, and to the promotion, conduct and use of research to improve the current and future health and care of the population

Clinical Research is a major driver of innovation and central to NHS practice for maintaining and developing high standards of patient care. Participating in Clinical research allows patients to get access to new interventions, treatments and medicines. Ultimately, investment in research means better and more cost-effective care for patients.

The National Institute for Health Research (National Institute for Health and Care Research) is the nation’s largest funder of health and care research and provides the people, facilities and technology that enables research to thrive. Working in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public, they deliver and enable world-class research that transforms people’s lives, promotes economic growth and advances science.

Finchampstead Surgery is part of a network of local practices participating in research activities under the banner of National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network: Thames Valley and South Midlands (National Institute for Health and Care Research CRN TVSM). The CRN TVSM is hosted by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.

Click here to find out more about the work of the National Institute for Health and Care Research

Support for Primary Care Research

The National Institute for Health Research works with researchers and primary care practitioners such as GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists and dentists to promote the successful delivery of research studies in the NHS. We support a wide range of research including studies which look at:

• Promoting a healthier lifestyle
• Disease diagnosis and prevention
• Management of long-term illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension
• Prevention of future ill-health
• Treating common conditions such as influenza

Following GDPR guidelines and ensuring your data is protected

Use of third-party document outsource processors (mailing companies)

Researchers regularly use document outsource processors such as Docmail to send study information to people who might be interested in taking part in clinical research. Only companies that are confirmed as being fully compliant with the laws surrounding data protection and data sharing, such as GDPR, are used. In addition to this, providers will be reviewed and permitted by the regulatory bodies that ethically approve, govern, and oversee clinical research taking place in the UK, such as the NHS Health Research Authority and Research Ethics Committees.

We would like to reassure you that, should you receive an invite to participate in a research study:

1. The letter will have come directly from the practice. We do not share identifiable information with researchers without patient consent.
2. It is our practice staff who perform research mailouts using the document outsource processor. Your contact details will not be shared outside of the system and will be deleted after 28 days.

What are the benefits of your practice being active in research?

Evidence suggests that patients who receive care in research-active institutions have better health outcomes than those who are treated in a non-research environment.

By joining the research community, we are actively helping to improve the standard of healthcare for our patients.

Research provides an opportunity for you, the patient, to better understand your health conditions as well as give something back to the NHS and wider community.

Sometimes it can provide patients with access to new treatments, as well as bringing a new dimension to practice and added skills to those involved.

The practice will receive funding to cover any additional costs of taking part in research (it does not come out of our own budget and so routine patient services will not be affected).

Current Studies

The studies listed below are running or due to start at Finchampstead soon. Most patients who qualify for a study will receive an invite, If you feel that you meet eligibility and have not yet heard from the surgery please let us know. If you do not meet eligibility, you will not be invited to participate. In this instance we would kindly ask you not to contact the surgery.

Study Name	Health Specialty	Study Summary	Website Link
COAT	Infection	Aim to assess whether lower limb cellulitis can safely be treated with a 5-day course of antibiotics vs. placebo	www.southampton.ac.uk/ctu/coat-study.page
DEFINE RCT	Respiratory	To find out whether using the FeNO test during asthma reviews can help improve care for asthma patients and reduce costs to the NHS	www.phctrials.ox.ac.uk/studies/define
DISCOVER-ME	Generic Health	The study aims to create a dynamic resource of demographic, health and genetic data to enable analyses to understand clinical disease progression in primary care and risk prediction	www.discovermestudy.com/
LOLIPOP	Generic Health	LOLIPOP is a prospective population study which aims to better understand the causes of heart disease and other major medical problems, including amongst people of Indian Asian ancestry who have a higher risk of heart disease.	www.sabiobank.org/about/
RESTED	Mental Health & Insomnia	Trial of sleep restriction therapy to ease depression	www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/institutes-units/phctrials/trial-portfolio/randomised-evaluation-of-sleep-treatment-to-ease-depression-rested
APRIL	Long COVID	Trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a Indian traditional herb, Ashwagandha, for promoting recovery in people experiencing on-going symptoms of Long COVID.	April trial participant information sheet (lshtm.ac.uk)
PALOMA	Parkinsons	This study tests a new eye movement measurement software to see if it can detect disease progression more quickly than the clinical assessments that are usually used.