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The UK Clinical Trials Gateway has now been replaced with Be Part of Research. This is a new site which is still under development. Your feedback will help improve it.

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

Update on COVID-19 and Be Part of Research

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for research. During this time, some research studies will have to be put on hold to keep healthcare professionals and participants safe or to allow research staff to support healthcare delivery. This means you may find fewer studies open on here, and if you contact researchers they may take longer than usual to respond. We will keep this site as up to date as possible for you while things are changing quickly.

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Link to FAQS

Frequently asked questions about coronavirus research studies and taking part

Link to the NHS website covid-19 information

For the latest information and advice about looking after your health and looking after others, please visit the NHS website.

Link to the UK Research Institute website

This site from UK Research and Innovation explains the science behind COVID-19, including how diseases like this develop and spread and the evidence behind vaccination, diagnosis, treatment and control approaches

How to be involved

Find out the reasons why people volunteer their time to help with health and social care research.

Information about how the process works, how research studies are designed, who supports you through your volunteering journey and information about giving consent.

If you're looking for ways to help or contribute, find useful resources on this page. Whether it's learning about research through an online course, sending a postal sample for the NIHR BioResource bank or commenting on research design documents online - read about all the different ways to get involved.

Latest news

Functional braces are effective alternatives to plaster casts for ruptured Achilles tendons

Early weight-bearing in a below-knee rigid boot, a functional brace, following ruptured Achilles tendon can achieve similar results to traditional plaster casting. This NIHR-funded trial included 540 people, and after nine months there appeared to be no difference between the two treatments in terms of how well patients recovered from their injury. The functional brace was preferred by patients. Functional bracing is an alternative to traditional plaster casting that allows earlier weight-bearing and mobilisation. The researchers in this trial found that the rate of re-rupture was 5% to 6% and this was lower than that reported in the previous literature. Clinicians treating Achilles tendon rupture may consider the use of early weight-bearing in a functional brace as a safe and effective alternative to plaster casting.

25 March 2020 NIHR Signals

Eplerenone does not improve vision in people with central serous chorioretinopathy

Eplerenone, a drug used for people with central serous chorioretinopathy, is no more effective than placebo. Neither visual acuity nor the build-up of fluid in the eye shows an important improvement. Central serous chorioretinopathy is a serious eye condition that causes blurred and distorted vision. Fluid collects underneath the macula, which is the central area of the retina. The condition mostly affects men aged 20–45 years, although it can affect women too. A specific cause is rarely identified. This NIHR-funded trial is the biggest and most robust one to date that investigates the use of eplerenone for this condition. Results confirm that the drug used for thecondition is unlikely to lead to important benefits.

25 March 2020 NIHR Signals

Brain inflammation linked to uncommon type of 'early-onset' dementia

'Inflammation in the brain ‘linked to several forms of dementia' ITV News reports

18 March 2020 NHS Behind the Headlines

Plasma and blood cell injections have not shown a benefit for Achilles tendon injury

Injecting a ruptured Achilles tendon with a small sample of a person’s own plasma, without the red blood cells, has no functional or other benefit. Plasma rich in platelets and white blood cells for the acute injury was compared with placebo. The NIHR-funded trial involved 230 adults with acute Achilles tendon rupture (the tendon which connects the calf muscles to the heel). All were attending UK hospitals within 12 days of injury. The trial found no difference in function at 24 weeks after the plasma injection or placebo injection. While previous studies have suggested some benefit for autologous (the person’s own) plasma injection treatment, the quality of that evidence to date has been weak, although the treatment is considered safe. This was a robust trial design, which provides us with more knowledge about a treatment which is increasingly popular for soft tissue injury, but for which there is a lack of good quality clinical evidence.

18 March 2020 NIHR Signals

Using wires to fix wrist fracture has good long-term outcome

Fixing a displaced broken wrist with wires is as effective as fixation with locking plates in the long term. Wrist function and pain continueto improve in the five years following either operation, with no evidence of a difference between the two treatments. In 2014, a trial comparing the use of Kirschner wires and locking plates for displaced fractures of the distal radius reported that patients treated with either operation did equally well after 12 months. This follow-up study allays fears that one year might have been too soon to rule out long-term problems. The study validates the switch in NHS clinical practice towards wire fixation, where wires are inserted through the skin, from the more expensive locking plate procedure, where an incision is needed on the underside of the wrist to insert and screw the plate in place. People having wire fixation can be reassured that they can expect a good recovery and that their wrist is likely to continue to improve during the subsequent five years.

18 March 2020 NIHR Signals

Conventional fillings may not add much to standard prevention for decay in baby teeth

Sealing in decay, improving tooth hygiene and using conventional fillings all work to prevent future dental pain and infection for children with decay in baby teeth. The approaches are equally acceptable to children and parents. Researchers tested three methods of managing decay in the primary molars of children aged three to seven: best practice prevention (advice on cutting down on sugar, twice-daily tooth brushing with fluoride, application of fluoride varnish) best practice prevention plus conventional local anaesthetic, and drilling out of decay and filling best practice prevention plus sealing in of decay with caps or fillings They found little difference in the chances of having an episode of pain or infection during 2.8 years of follow-up.

18 March 2020 NIHR Signals

Letting babies "cry it out" does not affect behaviour in later life, reports study

A new study suggests that leaving babies to "cry it out" occasionally does not have much impact on future crying, and does not affect a baby's attachment to its mother, or future behaviour.

17 March 2020 NHS Behind the Headlines

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Latest news

Functional braces are effective alternatives to plaster casts for ruptured Achilles tendons

Eplerenone does not improve vision in people with central serous chorioretinopathy

Brain inflammation linked to uncommon type of 'early-onset' dementia

Plasma and blood cell injections have not shown a benefit for Achilles tendon injury

Using wires to fix wrist fracture has good long-term outcome

Conventional fillings may not add much to standard prevention for decay in baby teeth

Letting babies "cry it out" does not affect behaviour in later life, reports study