Our Research

Using research to improve patient care

North Bristol NHS Trust is dedicated to making research both relevant and accessible to the general public, to patients and their carers. 

Clinical research helps us understand how to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. It focuses on people, and many clinical research studies, such as clinical trials, directly involving patients to test medicines or medical treatments.   

We want patients and the public to be involved in all stages of research.

Involving patients and members of the public leads to research that meets your needs, is more reliable and more likely to be put into practice.

There are a number of ways in which you can get involved by:

  • Taking part in research
  • Joining our Patient and Public Involvement in Research Panel
  • Helping fund research
  • Donating your brain for dementia research
  • Learning more about our research

You can also visit INVOLVE's website to find out more about patient and public involvement in research.

Taking part in research as a research participant

If you have a particular illness or ailment, and you would like to find out about research in that area, you should discuss this with your treating clinician or GP who will be able to advise on current research taking place.

Join our Patient and Public Involvement in Research panel

Help researchers at NBT design better research projects by giving them a lay person's input at different stages, from providing opinions on their protocols to helping them to design patient information leaflets that are clear and helpful.  We have a Patient Experience Partnership – in Research) specific panel for our orthopaedic research and a general panel for all other research. Find out more about taking part in research or email sharon.nolan@nbt.nhs.uk or call 0117 32 36467

Help fund research

From fundraising and donations, we are able to provide small grants to encourage new researchers and new research areas to develop. Here are a couple of examples of the work your donations have already funded:

  1. Brainwashing for premature babies to reduce severe disability in premature babies with serious brain haemorrhage
  2. Supporting people living with osteoarthritis
  3. Scoping study of the hydration care of older people whilst in hospital or a care home by interviewing patients and staff
  4. You can make a secure donation to help fund our research by visiting Just Giving.

Donate your brain for dementia research

The South West Dementia Brain Bank (based at Frenchay Hospital) was established to enable brain tissue to be used after death for research into dementia (e.g. Alzheimers disease). Normal (control) brains from people without neurological conditions are also valuable to help find the possible causes of neurological disease.

Find out more information about the importance and purposes of the Brain Bank    

For informal queries about donating your brain or to request further information on what is involved, please contact Laura Palmer (South West Dementia Brain Bank Co-ordinator): laura.e.palmer@bristol.ac.uk or call 0117 340 3070

Learning more about our research

North Bristol NHS Trust undertakes a significant amount of research. Over 500 researchers lead or collaborate in over 400 individual research studies each year. 

Most of our clinical departments are involved in research in some way.  Here are some examples of what some of our research teams are doing:

  • Urinary medicine - prostate cancer, incontinence
  • Neurological conditions - Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, pediatric neurology, speech & language disorders and dementias
  • Bones, joints and connective tissues (Orthopedics and Rheumatology) - particularly total joint replacement
  • Microbiology - particularly antibiotic resistance
  • Cancer
  • Obstetrics and gynaecology
  • Diabetes
  • Respiratory medicine
  • Renal medicine

To find out more about our aims, download our Research & Innovation Strategy “Enterprise and Excellence to improve patient care”.pdf  which is monitored by the Research Committee.pdf.

To find out more about clinical trials:

Clinical Trials: What they are and what they’re not.pdf
This leaflet answers some of the many questions people have about clinical trials including: Why do we need to do them? Are they safe? What happens at the end of a trial? It was developed in collaboration with the Association of Medical Research Charities.

Understanding Clinical Trials.pdf
This booklet explains what clinical trials are and how and why they are carried out. It is designed to answer the many questions people may have when deciding whether to take part in a trial.

  • Share |
  • Print this pagePrint this page

Contact Research & Innovation

Research & Innovation
North Bristol NHS Trust
Floor 3 Learning & Research building
Southmead Hospital
Westbury-on-Trym
Bristol
BS10 5NB

Telephone: 0117 32 36468
Fax: 0117 32 36192
Email: research@nbt.nhs.uk

 

| About Us |