UK’s largest health research programme opens new mobile clinics in Hackney, Halifax, Acton, Rochdale and Sandwell
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 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.
Working in collaboration with the NHS, the programme is sending invitation letters to people who live near the new mobile clinics. Anyone over the age of 18 can join by signing up online, completing an online health questionnaire, and booking a short clinic appointment.
Dr Francis Andrews is Medical Director & Emergency Medicine Consultant at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.
He joined at one of our mobile hubs while it was at Asda Bolton car park.
“At my appointment today, I had my blood pressure checked and had it been high, I could have been directed to intervention by my GP to stop anything more severe developing. I had my cholesterol levels checked too – so again, if there had been a problem, I would have been pointed towards further healthcare.”
“I’ve been given a lot of information that’s really helpful in future-proofing my own health.”
“It requires very little effort to join Our Future Health, but the data collected – which is kept secure and anonymised – will be incredibly helpful. It will allow us to detect disease much earlier than we can do at the moment, offer new treatments when they are detected, and lead to better health outcomes.”
“In my role as an A&E doctor I see a lot of patients, who have experienced the very serious effects of diabetes, cancer, of circulatory and respiratory diseases, and of mental health too. Often, they’re diagnosed at very late stages, so they have severe life-threatening complications when they arrive at A&E.”
“If we’re able to diagnose these conditions much earlier, or able to understand who is at risk of developing these conditions much earlier, we can avoid serious complications by diagnosing and intervening earlier.”
“By taking part in this programme, you’re helping yourself, your family, your friends and your community in a way we have never been able to before.”
Justin Sheldrake, 49, is a builder living in Wakefield.
He took part in January at our mobile hub in Wakefield, situated in Asda car park on Asdale Road.
“After receiving the letter from Our Future Health inviting me to take part, I signed up for peace of mind, to learn more about my own health. I’ve had my blood pressure checked before but never my cholesterol so that was helpful. If my information can help prevent illness or mean that it can be detected and treated earlier, that’s positive.”
“I lost my daughter to leukaemia, a day before her tenth birthday so more than anything, I’d like to see Our Future Health help us understand more about cancer and advance treatments there.”
Dr Raghib Ali OBE, Chief Medical Officer at Our Future Health, said:
“Our mobile clinics moving to five new areas is going to provide more even more people with an opportunity to take part, learn more about their own health and help people live healthier lives for longer. By putting our clinics in supermarket carparks we’re making it easy and convenient for everyone to contribute to health research, particularly people who have never done something like this before.”
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 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, Breast Cancer Now, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK, Kidney Research UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Parkinson’s UK, Prostate Cancer UK, Royal Osteoporosis Society and Stroke Association.
ENDS
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 hub video: https://youtu.be/uX1Nr5A6e54
Contact: lucy.benson@ourfuturehealth.org.uk
Locations:
Appointments in Hackney will take place at: Tesco Superstore, 55 Morning Lan, Hackney, London, E9 6ND
Appointments in Halifax will take place at: ASDA, Thrum Hall Lane, Halifax, HX1 4PG
Appointments in North Acton will take place at: ASDA Park Royal, 2-20 Western Road, London NW10 7LW
Appointments in Rochdale will take place at: Tesco Superstore, Silk Street, Rochdale, OL11 3ER
Appointments in Sandwell will take place at: ASDA Great Bridge Superstore, Brickhouse Lane, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 7HW
About Our Future Health
Our Future Health is a collaboration between the public, private and charity sectors. It aims to be the UK’s largest health research programme, bringing people together to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat disease.
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. Participants’ data will be de-identified and held securely in trusted research environments that meet strict security criteria. There will be a robust and transparent access process to ensure appropriate research access to Our Future Health data and samples for registered researchers. 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. We help reduce the time, effort and cost of developing new drugs, treatments and services, bringing benefits to patients, the public and the NHS.
Opt-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 an invitation letter to join the programme via NHS England (who host the NHS DigiTrials service). People who do not want to receive an invitation letter from NHS England can opt out by completing the form on the NHS DigiTrials webpage.
To sign up follow this link – or see our website for more information.