Get the latest information about COVID-19 research.

We are here to help you find out about health and social care research that is taking place across the UK.

Thank you for your interest in research

As the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 declines, some studies that had been put on hold are now restarting. This means that as people receive appointments for non-COVID care, there will be opportunities to take part in research alongside this. The healthcare team may put in place changes to minimise risks for people taking part in research from COVID, such as fewer face-to-face clinics or drive-through blood tests. Check this site or speak to your health professional for updates on opportunities to take part in research, as things are changing quickly.

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Link to a series of seven films

A collection of short films about people’s experiences of COVID-19 research

link to information about how to get involved

in COVID-19 research

Link to Information about BAME

in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

How to be involved in other research

Animation about who can take part in research

Health research needs people of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the country, to take part and help shape research. That way the results can benefit as many people as possible. Find out more about the ways you can get involved.

NIHR learn - What is Health Research online course

Do you want to know how doctors and health professionals find new and better ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating disease? Join our online course to find the answer, hear first hand accounts of being part of research, and much more.

Find out about the opportunities available such as learning about research through a course, donating a sample to the NIHR BioResource bank to help research for chronic health conditions, giving feedback on research study design or registering your interest in helping Dementia Research.

Latest news

Combined drug and psychological therapies may be most effective for depression

The most effective treatment for adults with moderate depression is likely to be a combination of antidepressant drugs and psychological interventions. A new summary provides the strongest evidence to date that the combination of treatments work better than either alone. The most recent advice from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) comes in ...

03 July 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

New research supports the move to raise the blood pressure target for frail older people

Frail older people may not benefit from the same tight blood pressure control that has been shown to benefit relatively younger, healthier groups in existing trials. The medical records of more than 400,000 patients in primary care were reviewed. The researchers found that lower than normal blood pressures were associated with a higher death rate ...

03 July 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

Ambulance staff who respond to suicides need more support

UK ambulance staff report lasting and troubling memories of being called to suicides. But in a small qualitative study, they said there was little acknowledgment in the workplace that such events are traumatic. This is important since someone exposed to suicide is known to be themselves at greater risk of suicide. Each worker interviewed had ...

22 June 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

Interactive dashboard identifies patients at risk of unsafe prescribing in a flexible and sustainable way

The Salford Medication Safety Dashboard (SMASH) was successfully used in general practices with the help of on-site pharmacists. SMASH is a web application that flags up a list of patients who are potentially at risk from medicines they have been prescribed. There was an initial period of increased workload when SMASH was used to review ...

22 June 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

Public health messages on alcohol need to consider how and why people drink, not just how much

Public health messages about alcohol could be more effective if they reflect how and why patients drink, rather than simply focusing on how much alcohol is being consumed. There may be a need for more relevant public health campaigns to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of heavy drinking. GPs can help patients reduce their ...

22 June 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

GPs who make the most urgent referrals for cancer see the fewest cancer deaths among their patients

GP practices across England vary in how frequently they make urgent referrals for suspected cancer. Patients from general practices which make the most urgent referrals are more likely to have their cancer diagnosed at an early stage. A new study found that they are about 4% less likely to die within 5 years. This is ...

12 June 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

Decision aids quickly and accurately rule out heart attack for almost half of all patients tested

Decision aids provided immediate reassurance to almost half of all patients arriving at emergency departments with a suspected heart attack. Use of the aids, which are based on a single blood test, accurately ruled out heart attacks in patients with relevant symptoms. Aids could provide early reassurance for worried patients and families and avoid many ...

11 June 2020 NIHR Evidence Alerts opens in a new window

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We are here to help you find out about health and social care research that is taking place across the UK.

Thank you for your interest in research

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Latest news

Combined drug and psychological therapies may be most effective for depression

New research supports the move to raise the blood pressure target for frail older people

Ambulance staff who respond to suicides need more support

Interactive dashboard identifies patients at risk of unsafe prescribing in a flexible and sustainable way

Public health messages on alcohol need to consider how and why people drink, not just how much

GPs who make the most urgent referrals for cancer see the fewest cancer deaths among their patients

Decision aids quickly and accurately rule out heart attack for almost half of all patients tested