Hospital staff across the Humber region have been leading the way in clinical research throughout the year.
As we approach the end of 2024, research and development teams from NHS Humber Health Partnership, which operates hospitals in Hull, Cottingham, Grimsby, Goole and Scunthorpe, as well as some community services, have conducted over 650 individual health research studies this year.
More than 4,700 patients and users of the group’s health services across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire agreed to participate in research across 27 specialties this year, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, respiratory diseases, cancer, kidney disease, digestive diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases, and vascular disease.
While many may envision clinical research as merely drug trials, these only form a small part of the research teams’ work, according to Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan, Group Director for Research, Development and Innovation.
He explained: “With the support of local academic partners and Hull York Medical School, hospitals across Hull and the Humber region are continuing to place themselves at the forefront of clinical research.
“While some studies do look at the efficacy of drug treatments, many others investigate the effectiveness of therapeutic work with patients, or use questionnaires and patient data to look for trends or to influence treatment options going forward.
“Being able to offer local people opportunities to get involved in research is really important, not only in terms of improving the health of the local population, but also in discovering and developing cures, providing access to new and emerging treatments, understanding how certain conditions can affect people, and even being able to attract the best healthcare staff and academics to our region.
“We value every single person who helps us on our research journey, looking into many different conditions such as IBD, vascular disease and cancer, and would like to thank everyone who’s taken part or signed up to be involved this year for their willingness to help us and others like them.
(Image: HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST)
“Signing up to a trial doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming, but could make all the difference to thousands of other patients in the future, not just in our region but across the world.”
One of the most popular studies over the past 12 months has been the Born and Bred in (BaBi) study, which uses existing data about local people to shape family health services and highlight societal changes that could improve long-term health outcomes for children and families.
Having started in Hull in February, more than 1,200 people signed up in the first eight months, which is over three times the original target for the year, and in the last month, the same study has launched in Northern Lincolnshire too.
Clinical teams from the region have also made their mark on the global stage, with members of Hull’s respiratory clinical trials team being among those invited to present their projects and potentially ground-breaking findings to international research colleagues. The projects presented include the FRONTIER Programme, a two-year initiative in partnership with Chiesi that focuses on undiagnosed COPD. This project was recently recognised as best practice in Westminster.
During the first phase of the project, 201 patients who had previously attended an NHS Lung Health Check and reported symptoms of lung disease and/or had emphysema detected on their CT scan were invited back for further COPD testing. Over two thirds of these individuals, 136 people, received a COPD diagnosis. This suggests that the NHS Lung Health Check could also be a significant opportunity to identify and provide timely treatment for other respiratory illnesses, the NHS says.
A collective celebration of healthcare research event, involving doctors, nurses and therapists working across the region’s hospitals, is scheduled for the New Year.
If you’re interested in getting involved with healthcare research or want to learn more about what’s involved, speak to your healthcare professional or visit www.hull.nhs.uk/research/.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
