It's time to get engaged!
We’re here to make clinical trials clear and accessible for you. We provide straightforward information so you can make confident healthcare decisions, while helping researchers develop treatments that work for everyone.
What you need to know
Thinking about joining a clinical trial? Each study has specific eligibility guidelines to ensure your safety and the quality of the research. We’ll help you understand if a particular study might be right for you.These criteria help ensure participant safety and the validity of clinical trial outcomes. Whether you’re looking for paid clinical trials or interested in contributing to medical research, it’s important to understand all aspects of the trial before making a decision.
participants (952,789) took part in clinical research in 2022/23 across England, an increase of over 220,000 on pre-pandemic levels (1)
is the average drop out rate across Phse I-III
clinic trials have been conducted since 2000
Clinical trials need people like you. Whether you’re living with a health condition or are completely healthy, your participation matters Researchers welcome people of all ages, from young children to older adults. They need both healthy volunteers and patient volunteers with different backgrounds and lifestyles. And they need people with a variety of health conditions, not just those who are healthy. Why such a wide range of people? Because this helps researchers learn how new treatments might work for different groups of people. It’s how they make sure new medicines are safe and effective for everyone.
Safety First – A small group of 20-80 volunteers helps researchers understand how the body responds to a new treatment and what side effects might occur. These pioneering participants play a crucial role in determining if a treatment is safe to study further.
After establishing safety, researchers work with 100-300 people who have the condition being studied. This phase explores whether the treatment shows promise in addressing the illness and continues to monitor safety.
Now researchers give the medicine to an even bigger group, often hundreds or even thousands of people. Doctors compare the new medicine to older medicines or a placebo to see which one works best. This phase often involves randomisation to ensure unbiased results.
Even after a medicine is available for everyone to use, doctors continue to study it in large groups of people to make sure it’s safe and working well.
Clinical trials are essential for developing new and improved treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions. These drug trials and medical trials test not only medications but also medical devices and behavioural treatments. By participating, you contribute to medical research and potentially help others in the future.
Every clinical trial is different, but here are some common activities you might do as part of the study protocol:
- Regular check-ins with your research team: You’ll meet with healthcare professionals who are dedicated to your well-being and the study’s success. These appointments typically take place at a hospital, clinic, or doctor’s office.
- Receive visits at home: For some trials, a member of the research team may visit you at home to conduct study assessments or collect information.
- Receiving the study treatment: Depending on the study, you may take a new medication or undergo a specific procedure. Your research team will be with you every step of the way, carefully monitoring your health and responding quickly to any changes or concerns.
- Keep a diary or journal: Some trials require you to keep track of your symptoms, medication use, or other relevant information.
- Provide blood or other samples: You may provide blood samples or other biological samples for testing.
- Stay in a clinical research facility: Some trials require you to stay in a clinical research facility for a specific period, which may include overnight stays. This allows the research team to closely monitor your health and conduct specific tests.
- Dedicated healthcare team: As a participant, you’ll receive attentive care from medical professionals who closely monitor your health throughout the study. Many participants value this personalized attention as one aspect of their trial experience.
- Early access to new treatments: You might get to try a new medicine that could help you feel better, even before it’s available to everyone else. This might be something that could really improve your health, especially if you are not on any treatment or if the medicine or treatment you are on now isn’t working well or at all.
- Help others: By joining a clinical trial, you’re not just helping yourself. You’re also helping doctors learn more about illnesses and how to treat them, which could help lots of people in the future.
- Potential Side effects: Every treatment being studied may cause side effects, ranging from mild to serious. Before you join, the research team will discuss specific risks for the particular study and what they’re doing to minimise them. Your safety remains the top priority throughout the process.
- The treatment may not work: There’s no guarantee that a new treatment will be effective. Even if it shows promise, it might not work for everyone.
- Time commitment: Clinical trials can require a significant time commitment, with regular visits to the clinic or hospital for tests and checkups.