PATIENTS and members of the public are being urged to consider taking part in vital clinical research at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) ahead of a national awareness day.
The Trust’s dedicated Clinical Research Unit, based in the Nightingale Building at Halton Hospital, opened its doors just over two years ago and during that time it has gone from strength to strength, contributing to several major research studies.
Among its achievements to date, it recruited the highest number of volunteers to a commercial COVID-19 vaccine study sponsored by Moderna. It also secured a ‘global first’ by recruiting the first volunteer for an international Sanofi gastroenterology study looking at adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
Now the hospitals’ Research and Development team is encouraging people in Warrington, Runcorn and Widnes, as well as the wider Cheshire and Merseyside area, to consider signing up to its Pathway to Research programme ahead of International Clinical Trials Day, which takes place on Saturday 20 May.
Pathway to Research is a secure database for patients and residents who would like to be contacted about future research studies.
Kirsty Pine, Associate Director of Research and Development at WHH, said: “Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a research-active hospital and has a range of research taking place, from clinical trials of new medicines to questionnaire-based studies.
“We need volunteers to take part in research as it is the best way for us to improve our understanding of illness and build evidence for developing better treatments.
“Joining the Pathway to Research database provides an exciting opportunity for residents to get involved in supporting the Trust’s vital clinical work. It is completely voluntary and you can sign up whether you are healthy, take medications and/or have one or more health conditions.”
The Trust has recently recruited infant volunteers up to one year of age for the Harmonie trial, which looks at how strongly babies can be protected from serious illness due to RSV infection (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) by giving them a single antibody immunisation.
RSV is a common virus that affects the majority of infants in their first few years of life and usually causes a mild, cold-like illness. However for some it can lead to more severe lung problems such as pneumonia, and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisations in babies that are mostly otherwise healthy. Over the past year there has been a resurgence of RSV following the easing of coronavirus public health measures.
One of the youngest residents to have taken part in the study is three-month-old Max Morley, grandson of Warrington and Halton Hospitals’ Chief Executive Simon Constable. Simon’s daughter Chloe Constable, a neonatal intensive care nurse at Warrington Hospital, signed up for the trial shortly after Max was born.
Simon with baby grandson Max
Chloe, who lives in Widnes with partner Kane and two-year-old daughter Mila, said: “I knew about the Clinical Research Unit from working at the hospital anyway, but when I was discharged after having Max I received an email about the Harmonie trial, so I rang up straightaway.
“I wanted to take part as I know from the studies that have already been done that the vaccine reduces hospitalisations for severe respiratory illnesses for babies, and with being a nurse myself I know how poorly they can become.
“I’m glad we took part as Max has had a lot of coughs and colds since he was born and I think having the vaccine may have prevented him from developing more serious conditions.”
The Trust’s Research and Development Department, supported by its Quality Academy, works with clinical divisions within both Warrington and Halton Hospitals to ensure patients are given the opportunity to participate in high quality research that has been approved by an independent ethical body.
It is also closely involved with key partners National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Clinical Research Network North West and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT) in order to further develop its research and investigation opportunities.
Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson, Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive at Warrington and Halton Hospitals, said: “At WHH we are committed to the ongoing development of our vital research and investigation work, and giving the local community the opportunity to take part in a diverse range of studies.
“Participation in clinical research demonstrates our commitment to improving the quality of care we offer, by helping to ensure our clinical staff stay abreast of the latest possible treatment options and because active participation in research leads to successful patient outcomes.”
Ahead of International Clinical Trials Day, members of WHH’s Research and Development team will be manning stands inside the main entrance of Warrington Hospital and in the Nightingale restaurant at Halton Hospital on Friday 19 May, from 10am to 3pm at Warrington, and 11am to 2pm at Halton.
Anyone visiting either hospital on the day can speak to staff about the Pathway to Research and current trials being undertaken at the Trust. Alternatively, for more information call 01928 753303 or email [email protected]
