People are being asked to help improve future healthcare treatments by participating in local trials, as part of International Clinical Trials Day (20th May 2017).
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stepping Hill Hospital and community health services across Stockport, is a key clinical research site in Greater Manchester. Its research team oversees studies involving around a thousand local patients each year; in areas such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, surgery and childbirth.
The advancement of medicine and surgery in the NHS depends on volunteers taking part in studies, especially in seeing how effective new drugs can be. Every participant is a ‘research champion’, helping to improve and save the lives of others in the future.
Sophie Hampton (23) from Edgeley in Stockport has been taking part in patient trials at Stepping Hill Hospital for eight years. Sophie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes aged 11. Since the age of 15, and with the support of her parents, she has participated in numerous trials, giving blood and urine samples to test the effectiveness of different diabetes drugs. She is currently on a trial which tracks the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes.
Sophie said, “I love taking part in the research and I’m really pleased to do what I can to support other people with diabetes. I can’t believe it’s been this long! I’m happy to keep meeting with the research team for many years to come.”
Another research volunteer is Malcolm Mottram (70) from Brinnington in Stockport. Malcolm was diagnosed with myeloma, a cancer that affects plasma cells, in March 2014. Malcolm helped to test two new drugs, the oral drug Lenalidamide and the intravenous drug Carfilzomib, which are now being routinely used across the country. Both drugs help to increase cancer remission times and extend lives.
Malcolm said, “I have two children and three grandchildren and I’m taking part in clinical trials to help younger people with cancer. Having cancer was bad enough for me, but it’s worse for those who still have debts and mortgages to pay. I’m very pleased I’ve been able to help the future generation in this way.”
The Stockport research team is currently expanding its research studies in areas such as critical care, dental health, haematology, stroke and urology, and are always looking for new volunteers. To get involved e-mail research.development@stockport.nhs.uk
For more information about our research see our research and development page.
