Tuesday 3 February 2015

Answers, please!

Where might you find answers to these questions in 2015?


  • How can the public find out what’s going on in research?

  • How to find out what research has been - or is being - done on specific problems or conditions?

  • What other information is available on the internet?

  • Who can you talk to about research in the NHS locally?

  • What are the different ways in which the public can get involved?

  • How can the public influence research priorities?

  • How can the public influence research ethics?

  • How can the public get involved in commissioning or undertaking research?

  • How to apply for funding for a research project?

  • How can the public get involved in the process of interpreting results?

  • How can the public get involved in disseminating results?

  • How can the public get involved in making sure that the NHS takes account of research?

  • What support is available for the public who wish to be involved in NHS research?

  • Do the public who want to be involved need any particular skills or qualifications?

  • How can you access the training that is available?

  • How to involve the public who are often left out?

Pleas note that for ease of reading I have changed the words ‘consumers’ to the public; ‘R&D’ to research; and ‘InterNet’ to internet in the above examples to bring it up to date.



These questions come from a little booklet I found in my loft recently. Better still, each question had a short pithy answer to help the public.

The booklet is titled...


Research and Development in the NHS - How can YOU make a difference?


It was written, in 1999, by the advisory group Consumers in NHS Research which later became Involve.


So, where is today’s little easy read guide?

How can we all work together to provide this information?

and...are there more appropriate questions we should be?




I would certainly want to add a question about taking part in research, inviting comment about the experience and finding ways to thank each other.