Why we do research

We do clinical research to find new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases, and improving outcomes for patients. Whilst the benefit may not be felt by those who give their time to taking part in research, most people find it a positive experience, and you can read some stories here.  

Our researchers, who come from a wide range of clinical backgrounds – such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics – are trained and supported to do research and often work as part of a research team with other disciplines. Our staff find research a fulfilling part of their roles, because it leads to improvements in patient care. Research can take many years to change care, but the impact can be great. Read about some of our impacts of research below:

• Beating heart 'off-pump' coronary artery bypass surgery
• Therapeutic hypothermia (cooling babies) to prevent brain damage and death caused by lack of oxygen
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ("Back to Sleep" campaign)
• Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Airway management in out of hospital cardiac arrest
• Renal denervation to treat resistant hypertension
• Reducing Violence and Aggression in A&E

If research is to make a difference, we need to tell people about it. Ways of doing this include research publications, presentations at professional society meetings, professional networks, changing NICE guidelines, telling relevant charities, and feeding back results to participants.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) requires all of the research grants it funds to produce a final report that is published on its website. This means that even negative findings are publicised, and this increases the public's trust in research findings.