Volunteer's bid to give something back to research
28 November 2013
AN ELDERLY lady whose husband was rushed to the Northern General after having a suspected heart attack while gardening at home is backing a national campaign to encourage more people to get involved in clinical research.
Enid Hirst, 75, of Millhouses, Sheffield, felt compelled to give something back to medical research after witnessing family and friends receive life-saving care at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital. This included her husband Stan, now 78, who had two stents fitted into his arteries to clear a potentially life-threatening blockage in his heart. Another friend was airlifted to A&E by the air ambulance after collapsing while out walking on the Peak District moors and needed bypass surgery.
Now she is joining the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network's ‘Research Changed My Life' campaign, which is also being backed by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to share her inspirational story of how research has transformed her life. The campaign launches on Thursday, November 28.
Enid Hurst, who trained as a teacher and also worked in a pharmacy, said: "I've always been interested in meeting people and helping them out. When I worked in the pharmacy, I came into contact with lots of people needing medical support and advice, including mums, babies and elderly people.
"I've been actively involved in research since I retired and I've been privileged to meet with a lot of patients, especially those being care for in A&E. One time I was looking at how primary angioplasty services might be delivered on a 24/7 basis, which is when surgeons clear blockages in the artery. By sheer coincidence my husband was admitted to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital with the same problem, and was transferred to the Northern General Hospital needing stents to be inserted into his arteries. Thanks to the influence of clinical research, these services are now available 24/7 in Sheffield, which shows how research can help improve NHS services for others too."
Professor Simon Heller, director of research and development at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Advances in medicine and care simply would not be possible without the active role of research volunteers, so I'm delighted to be supporting this national campaign raising awareness of how research can help patients understand their condition better, give them confidence or give them control in a difficult personal situation."
If you would like to get involved in clinical research email getinvolved@sth.nhs.uk or call 0114 226 5935.
Further information about the Research Changed My Life campaign can be found by clicking here.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was recently named as one of 15 National Institute for Health Research Local Clinical Research Networks across the country. This will see the Trust allocate £25m of funding per year to NHS organisations across the Yorkshire and Humber region in support of the development of new technologies and research aimed at improving patients' lives.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudia Blake, Research and Innovation Communications Officer
Tel: 0114 226 5033
Email: claudia.blake@sth.nhs.uk
