Research

We are committed to our population in Northamptonshire living healthy and happy lives – to 'live their best lives’.

Research is one way that we can make this happen by increasing our knowledge about health, care, and wellbeing.

It provides the evidence needed to assess whether new treatments, medicines, and services are better than what is currently available to prevent, diagnose, and treat ill health and to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients and population.

Examples of different types of research include clinical trials, completing questionnaires, and taking part in focus groups or interviews.

The benefits of taking part in research include learning more about your health, helping to improve treatments and quality of life now and in the future, and taking an active role in your care. The research carried out today is tomorrow’s treatment and care.

How you can be involved

There are various ways to get involved in research.

You can take part in a research study as a participant, or as a research partner by sharing your lived experience to help shape and deliver research.

You can ask your health and care practitioner if you can get involved in research – this could be your GP, pharmacist, consultant, surgeon, nurse or therapist.

More information and opportunities to get involved

• Be Part of Research – find out about health and social care research studies taking place in the UK
• Join Dementia Research – register your interest to take part in vital dementia research
• Starting Out Guide – find out why and how you can be supported to get involved in research in a way that works for you
• People in Research – opportunities for members of the public to get involved in NHS, public health, and social care research in the UK
• NHS Clinical Trials – find out about clinical trials in the NHS, what happens in them and questions you might want to ask before deciding to take part in one
• What is Health Research? Free online course – explore the world of health research and the role volunteers play in transforming treatments and improving health care