An update from the NECTAR team

An update from the NECTAR team in these strange times.

We wanted to take some time to let everyone know what the team have been doing during the past few months.

Whilst recruitment has been on hold we have been busier than ever supporting patients in trials so they could continue their care safely and minimise the risks of COVID. With the help of the pharmacy department we have been able to continue to provide study medications to those of you participating in trials without risking extra trips to the hospital. Telephone follow up and support calls have also been a vital lifeline for all of us.

Over the past 2 months we began restarting recruitment for many of our trials and are continuing set-up of upcoming research studies. Lots of interesting and important studies are on the horizon as we move into this new phase.

Unfortunately we have been unable to hold any of our NECTAR Patient, Carer Participation and Involvement (PCPI) meetings since the last one in November 2019. We continue to be in contact with many from the group via email and other means and very much value our PCPI group’s input and support. For those who are unaware of these meetings, they provide a chance to discuss new research and provide feedback on studies that we have completed in Cardiovascular Research at Freeman. They are also an opportunity for people to learn more about what we do and meet some of the team. When designing new research studies a vital stage is discussion with people from all walks of life who can give feedback and advice on the planned research design.

If you would like to be involved in our NECTAR PCPI group please contact us via nuth.NECTAR@nhs.net 

We like many others are adapting to this new normal and we hope to share with you more news of the work we are doing as we continue to progress in these strange times. Please stay safe everyone and thank you as always for your support.

The NECTAR PCPI Team