How it works

There are a number of studies to choose from. We recommend you choose a study you would be eligible for first that fits your lifestyle and, more importantly, your values as a person. See our live studies page.

If you are successful in applying, our contact centre team will receive and process your application. They will review your application to ensure you fully meet the study criteria requirements.

If you are unsuccessful in submitting a study application, please do not be discouraged. You can still fill out a general application, which again will be reviewed by our contact centre team.

Once your application has been reviewed, you will be contacted by one of our contact centre team members. They will confirm the cohort (fancy name for group) you wish to participate in, ensure you can attend all study dates, and offer a screening appointment. You will also be provided with all the study information in the form of a Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form.

Before participating in a clinical study, you must attend a screening appointment or visit. Every study requires a screening visit to assess your eligibility and health and ensure you can be considered for enrolment.

We will require you to consent to the study before completing any other procedures. Participation is always voluntary; signing the consent does not mean you have to continue, and you are very welcome to withdraw or cease your involvement at any point. The objective of the consent process is for us to fully ensure you understand the nature of the study and research and are fully informed. This will be signed and discussed with one of our Research Physicians (Doctors).

Following consent, you will be required to complete various screening procedures to assess your health, such as Height and Weight, BMI, Blood pressure, and Electrocardiograph. You will also need to provide blood and urine samples. These procedures can change from study to study, but they will all be outlined in the consent form provided to you before attending and during your consent.

We will also need your consent to apply for a summary of your medical history from your GP (General Practitioner) so our medical team can fully assess your eligibility along with your screening procedure test results to ensure you are fit and healthy and it is safe for you to be considered for participation or enrolment in a study.

Once all of your test results and medical history have been reviewed and have been deemed acceptable, a member of the enrolment services team will get in touch with you to confirm your admission date into the study. The team will also reach out to you to ensure that you are still willing to participate and able to fully commit to the study dates. If you have any further questions, they will be happy to answer them. In the event that you are not eligible to participate, the team will still get in touch with you and provide you with all the details explaining why you are not able to participate in the study.

Following successful screening the next step is attending for the actual study conduct/period itself. Admission normally takes place the day before Day one of a study. On admission you will undergo similar procedures to those completed at screening(blood pressure, ECG, bloods, and urine). Provided you pass all these assessments you will then be eligible for enrolment into the study, our medical team will decide based on these test results who will be enrolled into the study.

For most studies, day one will consist of the first time you will be administered/take/given the study drug. You will be fully monitored before and during the first 24 hours of you taking the drug. Your safety will be monitored by our qualified clinical team, which is made up of research physiologists, nurses and of course our medical team of research physicians and doctors. Again, the monitoring will involve and consist of a variety of tests and evaluations such as blood pressure ECG and blood samples and physical exams. All these tests are to ensure you are safe and well throughout the entire process.

It is important to note that the number of tests and evaluations will generally decrease after the first 24 hours of participating in a study. However, the duration and extent of monitoring will vary depending on the specific study you choose to participate in. The schedule for assessments for each day and each study will be clearly outlined in the study participation information sheet and consent form.
The main part of any clinical study is the treatment period, which is specific to each study and depends on the nature of the research and drug being tested. Typically, the treatment period will involve spending a few nights in our clinical unit. During your stay, you will be sharing the ward with other volunteers.
Each clinical study will have multiple treatment periods and return visits, which together make up the overall treatment period. You will be given full information and dates for these periods before you sign the consent form.

You will be discharged following final safety assessments and procedures in the treatment period. These final assessments will ensure you are feeling fit and well to return home before completing a final follow-up visit.

Your final visit or follow-up can normally be anywhere between one week to two weeks following your discharge from the treatment period once again this is all dependent on the nature of the study is which you choose to participate. This final visit will be like your screening visit where you will have several assessments completed again to ensure you are feeling well and that we can fully and safely discharge you from the study. Providing you do not need any repeat assessments or tests, on the return of the results from these tests your study inconvenience payment will be triggered.

Your payment will be triggered providing you have successfully completed all study visits (including any repeats) and assessments outlined in the information sheet and consent form. Payment is also dependent on full compliance of the study procedures and adherence to procedures and rules within the clinical unit. Basically, be on time, be kind to staff and be kind to other volunteers. Payments once raised with our finance team, are provided via bank transfer and take anywhere between 1 to 2 weeks to clear (normally 1 week but we are going say 2 just in case!).