A NUMBER of health bodies are showing their support to a national campaign encouraging people to show a curiosity about clinical research.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group are backing the National Institute for Health Research's ‘It’s OK to ask’ campaign.

The campaign seeks to encourage patients to ask their family doctor, nurse or consultant about clinical research.

Associate director of research and development at Gloucestershire Hospitals Julie Hapeshi said: “This year we are supporting the ‘It’s OK to ask’ campaign and the International Clinical Trials Day on May 20 by travelling around the county in the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group’s Information Bus throughout the week.

“Clinical research is the way in which we gather evidence to improve treatments for patients. Promoting, conducting and using clinical research to improve healthcare is one of the key principles of a number of NHS policy statement in which we pledge to inform patients about research studies in which they may be eligible to participate and promote research as part of normal care.

“In many cases doctors will approach patients and carers about taking part in research, but the NIHR also wants patients to feel that it’s OK to ask about it, to keep research at the top of the NHS England agenda”.

The bus has been stopping at venues between 9.30am and 2.30pm to answer any questions members of the public may have.

It has already stopped in Gloucester, Stroud and Cheltenham, and will tomorrow stop in Market Place, Cirencester.

The National Institute for Health Research is the research arm of the NHS. It provides funding to support the delivery of trials and makes it possible for patients and healthcare professionals across England to participate in research.