Frequently Asked Questions

Why volunteer for a trial?

Given that many of the studies run in the Vaccines Trials Group have a placebo group, there is no guarantee that study participants will gain any direct benefit from being involved. However, there any many reasons why people decide to participate in clinical trials:

Getting early access to new treatments that are not available outside the clinical trials setting

Access to expert medical advice from the study doctor and other members of the research team

Gaining a greater understanding of the nature of vaccinations

Regular, detailed health check-ups

Results from the study may help others in the future

Meet new friends

And at the very least…free cups of tea and chocolate biscuits!!!!

Is parking provided?

All study participants are provided with free onsite parking. Please make sure you have asked for a carparking vouchure on your arrival to clinic and display this on your dashboard.

Will I be paid?

No, you will not be paid to participate in a clinical research study. We will reimburse you for your travel costs to and from the research facility.

What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a scientific study, or an organised test of medicines and new treatment options involving patient and non-patient human volunteers. Clinical trials confirm whether medicines are safe and effective to introduce as new treatments for a particular disease or condition.

Clinical trials may also be used to determine whether an existing medicine can be safely and effectively used for other diseases and/or conditions.

Who can participate in a clinical trial?

All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate. Using inclusion/ exclusion criteria is an important principle of medical research that helps to produce reliable results. The factors that allow someone to participate in a clinical trial are called "inclusion criteria" and those that disallow someone from participating are called "exclusion criteria". These criteria are based on such factors as age, gender, previous medical history, and other medical conditions. Before joining a clinical trial, a participant must qualify for the study. Some research studies seek participants with illnesses or conditions to be studied in the clinical trial, while others need healthy participants. It is important to note that inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally. Instead, the criteria are used to identify appropriate participants and keep them safe. The criteria help ensure that researchers will be able to answer the questions they plan to study.