Teddy bears needed for research study!

Members of Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust's Research and Development Team are hoping you and your teddy can help them with their latest research study.

All you need to do is pop along, with your favourite teddy bear, to see the team in the city centre next Saturday (14th May) at the Place de Brest, between 10am to 2pm. There the team will be on hand to take your teddy bear’s measurements and to ask you a few questions.

Organiser Alison Stolton, Research Nurse Specialist at Plymouth Hospitals, explains: “We’re really keen that members of the public will come along and see us next weekend with their special teddies to help us with our study.

“We carried out a pilot research project at our Open Day in March, with some interesting findings and now we’re hoping that members of the public can help us carry out an even bigger study.”

The event has been set up as part of celebrations for International Clinical Trials Day, which is held on 20 May.

Alison continued: “This is a great and fun way to get children and their grown-ups learning more about research in hospitals. There are many myths surrounding clinical research trials so we want to use this opportunity to show that research not only improves patient care but it also develops treatments for the future.”

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated to commemorate Dr James Lind, who carried out the first clinical trial on 12 men serving on HMS Salisbury, to see whether additions of cider, seawater, a mixture of garlic, mustard and horseradish or oranges and lemons, to the basic seaman’s diet could cure scurvy. The results marked Lind as a pioneer of naval hygiene and led to scurvy almost disappearing from the Royal Navy.

Our dedicated clinical research centre, based in Derriford Hospital, is named after Lind in recognition of his pioneering work.

If you want to find out more about clinical trials at Plymouth Hospitals and how to get involve, click here.