UK’s largest health research programme opens 10 new clinics in July 2024
Mobile clinics will visit car parks in Bridlington, Chard, Chesterfield, Eltham, Farnham, Market Harborough, South Shields, St Helens and Washington.
Earlier in the month, Our Future Health brought a mobile clinic to the Civil Service Live event in London, where appointments for both days were fully booked by attendees.
In Birmingham, the existing Boots store clinic has now moved from the Bullring to the Boots store on the High Street.
Our Future Health aims to transform the prevention, detection and treatment of conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With up to five million volunteers right across the UK, the goal is to create one of the most detailed pictures ever of people’s health.
At their clinic appointment, as well as having a blood sample and some physical measurements taken, volunteers will be offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In the future, volunteers will also be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of some diseases and have the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge research studies.
The programme is sending invitations to people who live near the new clinics. Anyone over the age of 18 can join by signing up online at ourfuturehealth.org.uk, completing an online health questionnaire, and booking a short clinic appointment.
Our Future Health clinic locations can be viewed on an interactive map here.
Volunteer Dionne Thompson, 47, from Hitchin, shared her reasons for taking part: “Working in healthcare, I regularly witness the need for better preventative care. If we could offer people more of this, so many lives would be changed for the better. I signed up to Our Future Health because I wanted to contribute to the data pool. The more of us who do this, the sooner progress will be made in healthcare for everyone.”
Dr Raghib Ali, Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer of Our Future Health, said: “We want Our Future Health to help researchers make new discoveries about diseases that affect people across the UK. That’s why we’re bringing new clinics to different areas each month, so people from different backgrounds across the UK can volunteer and help build the biggest picture we’ve ever had of people’s health. Anyone over the age of 18 can take part, regardless of health conditions, so please do get involved.”
Photos and videos of the mobile clinics can be downloaded here.
Our Future Health is rolling out on a region-by-region basis to invite adults across the UK to join the programme. Volunteers who don’t live near a location where Our Future Health appointments are currently available can join now at ourfuturehealth.org.uk and be notified when new appointment locations become available.
New locations will be announced on the Our Future Health website and social media channels.
Our Future Health is an ambitious collaboration between the public sector, life sciences companies and leading UK health charities including: Action Against Age-related Macular Degeneration, Alzheimer’s Society, Asthma + Lung UK, Blood Cancer UK, Brain Tumour Research, Breast Cancer Now, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, DEBRA, Diabetes UK, Fight for Sight, Kidney Research UK, LifeArc, Macular Society, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Parkinson’s UK, Prostate Cancer Research, Prostate Cancer UK, Royal Osteoporosis Society, Stroke Association, and Versus Arthritis.
Our Future Health was set up with funding from the UKRI Accelerating Detection of Disease Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK.
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Contact: media@ourfuturehealth.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Interviews available with spokespeople and volunteers on request.
Images and videos, credit to Our Future Health, downloadable from here.
YouTube link for mobile clinic video: https://youtu.be/uX1Nr5A6e54
About Our Future Health
Our Future Health is a collaboration between the public, charity and private sectors to build the UK’s largest health research programme – bringing people together to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat diseases.
Our Future Health is committed to the highest standards, policies and processes that protect participants’ confidentiality, whilst maximising the opportunity to help researchers to tackle serious diseases. Volunteers’ data is de-identified and held securely in trusted research environments that meet strict security criteria. Our Future Health data and samples is only available to registered researchers conducting health research for the public good and is strictly controlled through an access process. All researchers will be held to the same standards.
Our Future Health is a member of the UK Health Data Research Alliance, the independent alliance of leading healthcare and research organisations establishing best practice for the ethical use of UK health data for research at scale.
Our Future Health is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 12212468) and a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1189681) and OSCR, Scottish Charity Regulator (charity number SC050917).
About NHS DigiTrials
NHS DigiTrials, hosted by NHS England, offers data services to support clinical trials. They help reduce the time, effort and cost of developing new drugs, treatments and services, bringing benefits to patients, the public and the NHS.
Opting-out from receiving an invitation: People who have previously opted out of sharing health data for planning and research purposes, by submitting a National Data Opt-out, will not receive a personal invitation letter to join the programme via NHS England (who host the NHS DigiTrials service). People who do not want to receive a personal invitation letter from NHS England can opt out by completing the form on the NHS DigiTrials webpage.
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
To sign up follow this link – or see our website for more information.