Our Future Health, the UK’s largest health research programme, will offer appointments in five new clinics across South Yorkshire.
Two new mobile clinics have opened in Doncaster. The programme is also launching clinics in three Boots pharmacies across Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield: Cortonwood, Retail World Parkgate and Heeley Retail Park. These join the site which is already open in the Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre.
Our Future Health aims to transform the prevention, detection and treatment of conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With up to five million volunteers right across the UK, the goal is to create one of the most detailed pictures ever of people’s health.
At their clinic appointment, as well as having a blood sample and some physical measurements taken, volunteers will be offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In the future, volunteers will also be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of some diseases and have the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge research studies.
Working in collaboration with the NHS, the programme is sending invitation letters to people who live near the new clinics. Anyone over the age of 18 can join by signing up online, completing an online health questionnaire, and booking a short clinic appointment.
Dr David Crichton, Chief Medical Officer at NHS South Yorkshire and GP:
“All research is valuable. Look at the medical advances made in the past 10-15 years – if people hadn’t volunteered to take part in research, we might not be where we are today. As a GP I know how important it is to look at ways to prevent and detect things like dancer, diabetes and heart disease in the future. Everyone who takes part will be helping this vital research.
“Our Future Health will help us to get there. It will provide researchers with the data they need to identify who is at risk of disease in the future. They’ll detect diseases earlier and discover new treatments.”
“I’ve volunteered to take part and had my appointment at a mobile unit in a supermarket car park. If you’re invited and able to take part, please volunteer. It’s taken 10 minutes, and the healthcare assistant was lovely. There was just a little pinprick in the finger, take a bit of blood, it doesn’t hurt. You will also get information about your own blood pressure and cholesterol too.”
Dr Raghib Ali OBE, Chief Medical Officer at Our Future Health, said:
““Our Future Health has the scale and ambition to play an important role changing our approach to healthcare in the UK. We want to see a shift from focusing mainly on treating ill-health to a future where we do more to stop people becoming unwell in the first place.
“With more clinics than ever, thousands more people can volunteer for our programme to find out new information about their own health, and help future generations live healthier lives for longer.”
Our Future Health is rolling out on a region-by-region basis to invite adults across the UK to join the programme. Volunteers who don’t live near a location where Our Future Health appointments are currently available can join now and be notified when new appointment locations become available.
Current venues are appointment only and are based across South Yorkshire include:
-
Barnsley/Rotherham - Cortonwood
-
Doncaster – mobile units across the city
-
Rotherham - Retail World, Parkgate
-
Sheffield - Heeley Retail Park (September)
-
Sheffield - Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre