More than 800 hospital patients across South Lincolnshire, King’s Lynn and Cambridgeshire are assisting with medical studies.
Medical research at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, has seen a 116 per cent increase in participants in the past 12 months.
The increase in willing patients has resulted in Dr Antonia Hardcastle’s Research and Development Team setting up more studies to tackle diseases such as cancer, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Dr Hardcastle said: “Patients are very generous to take part in these studies.
“We have some patients who are incredibly ill but continue to come to the hospital as they want to give something back.”
Current studies range from looking at childhood obesity to the physical
and emotional effects of being treated in a Critical Care Unit.
Primetime is a study aimed at preventing some breast cancer patients making the daily journey to Cambridge for radiotherapy.
The team is now looking to recruit volunteer Patient Research Ambassadors to liaise with patients and staff.
Interested parties can email kelly.waterfield@qehkl.nhs.uk
