More people needed to help NHS medical research

Volunteers are being invited to help advance medical knowledge, improve patient care and help shape the future of healthcare

Residents have been asked to take part in a medical research project to help improve treatments "for everything from common ailments to rare diseases".

A recruitment drive called Love Research has been launched by three Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS trusts.

Dr Vikki Hughes, from the Royal Papworth Hospital, said: “Research is our lifeline to innovation, and we cannot do research without the involvement of our patients."

Volunteers are being invited to help advance medical knowledge, improve patient care and help shape the future of healthcare.

It is part of a campaign called Love Research, which said research is "crucial for advancing healthcare across a broad spectrum of conditions"

"The campaign will help us connect with more participants, potentially leading to breakthroughs in heart and lung treatments," said Dr Hughes, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's head of research and development.

Royal Papworth had joined with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) to spearhead the initiative.

Their research covered a large range of areas including cancer, mental health and dementia, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

It also focuses on developing areas of technology expected to revolutionise NHS care such as artificial intelligence and new imaging techniques.

Dr Ashley Shaw, CUH's medical director, said the volunteers are "crucial for advancing healthcare across a broad spectrum of conditions".

"By participating in research or allowing us to contact them about research, the public can directly contribute to improving treatments for everything from common ailments to rare diseases," he said.

Discoveries made in Cambridgeshire have "helped laid the foundation for healthcare nationally and internationally", according to the campaign.

Dr Ben Underwood, director of research at CPFT, said: "With someone in the UK developing dementia every three minutes, support for research has never been so important to help us fight this disease.

"Thank you to all our participants, carers and families who make research possible and everyone who supports our efforts to translate the latest discoveries into NHS care to benefit our patients.”