Help us research long-term conditions in children

Medway Maritime Hospital is looking for children to take part in two exciting research projects over the summer holiday period.

Participating in the project involves a quick visit to a screening clinic where spitting into a tube or having a finger prick test will help researchers pioneer new treatments that could benefit millions of people.

The DNA, Children + Young People’s Health Resource (D-CYPHR) is part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) BioResource and works together with the NHS to encourage families with children aged 0 to 15 in the UK to take part in children’s health research.

D-CYPHR has recently hit over 10,000 volunteers and wants to continue to pioneer new treatments and create better care for the future generation of children. Contributions by young volunteers could provide clues for diabetes, mental health conditions, heart disease, rare diseases, immune conditions and many more.

A young girl stands with her hands on an a large glass tube with a helix inside

Laura Adams, Senior Clinical Research Nurse, Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: “With 1.7 million children and young people in England living with long-term health conditions, research is vital in helping reduce this number in the future.

“The D-CYPHR programme involves the child or young person donating a saliva (spit) sample and answering a health and lifestyle questionnaire. It takes a few minutes to complete.”

The ELSA (EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes) is for children aged three to 13 and looks to identify the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, a condition where the body cannot make a hormone called insulin.

Laura added: “Here at Medway, we have successfully recruited more than 300 children to take part in the ELSA study. Taking part is very quick and easy. Children are given a simple finger stick blood test to find out their risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the future.

“We are really grateful for everyone who takes the time to participate in our research studies.”

Two of the children who have taken part in the ELSA study are twelve-year old Riti and nine-year old Riwaj. Mum Sabita Pokharel, said “We took part in the ELSA testing in November 2024 and the results were back within three weeks.

“We took this test as a readily available opportunity to rule out Type 1 Diabetes for both of our children.

“Our family has always been advocates for research and we would like to thank the ELSA study for providing this breakthrough.”

To help children in Medway and Swale take part in the study, the hospital’s Research and Innovation Team is running clinics in July and August during the summer holidays, which will take place in the Magpie Outpatients Centre, Medway Maritime Hospital on the following dates:

Thursday 24 July – 1pm to 5pm
Friday 25 July – 9.30am to 12pm
Tuesday 29 July – 9am to 12pm
Friday 1 August – 9.30am to 12pm
Thursday 7 August – 9.30am to 12pm
Friday 8 August – 9.30am to 12pm
Tuesday 12 August – 9am to 12pm
Wednesday 13 August – 9am to 12pm
Thursday 14 August – 1pm to 5pm
Wednesday 27 August – 9am to 12pm
Thursday 28 August – 1pm to 5pm

The clinics can be booked in advance through Laura Adams, Senior Clinical Research Nurse on 01634 976750 or lauraadams3@nhs.net.

For the ELSA study, consent should be completed before the appointment through their website. Information sheets for parents and children explaining the study are also available to download.

Further information is also available for the D-CYPHR programme.

Research is vitally important here at Medway. In the financial year April 2024 to March 2025 we have taken part in 54 research studies which has resulted in recruiting 5,231 people.

About NIHR BioResource

Funded by the National Institute for Health Research, the NIHR BioResource contains samples donated by over 340,000 volunteers, both with and without health conditions, who are willing to be approached to participate in research studies investigating the links between genes, the environment, health and disease. Established in Cambridge in 2006, the NIHR BioResource has centres throughout England that provide local interaction and recruit new volunteers.

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