Want to get involved?
- Are you aged between 57 – 66?
- Would you like to help make the bowel cancer screening programme more effective and more efficient for the NHS?
- Interested in learning more about the research process?
If so, we would like your help! The Cancer Screening and Prevention Research Group (CSPRG) at Imperial College London are looking for individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds to become Public Patient Representatives for their new research project called FIT for Screening.
This year, the NHS English Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) is introducing a new bowel cancer screening test called FIT (faecal immunochemical test) to all men and women aged 60 years and over. FIT detects blood hidden in stool, and currently no evidence or research exists that indicates the ‘ideal’ level which the BCSP should use, to indicate a positive result and detect as many bowel cancers as possible. The FIT for Screening study aims to look into this further. Imperial would like to research what this ideal level should be and would like members of the public to help them shape their research proposal and plan.
The Public Patient Representative role is initially for 1 year and will be reviewed annually. The role involves reading about the study and a simple summary and providing us your thoughts on our research plans. You will need access to a computer and email to receive these documents. You will also be required to attend two half-day workshops at the CSPRG office and participate in activities and discussions with other patient/public representatives. The CSPRG is based at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.
You will be reimbursed for your time and reasonable travel expenses throughout the duration of your involvement. Payment for reviewing documents will range from £50 – £200 depending on the length of the document. For attending workshops and completing shorter study activities, payment will range from £25 – £150.
Please note, this role does not require any previous experience in public/patient involvement or clinical research. You will be supported and trained on all aspects of the study, with a member of the CSPRG team appointed as a point of contact at all times.
If you would like to know more, please contact: Bhavita Patel. Email: cancerscreen@imperial.ac.uk
