Research at Spa Medical Centre

 Helping improve healthcare together

Spa Medical Centre is a research-active GP practice in Melksham. We support research that helps us understand health conditions, improve treatments and find better ways to care for our patients and the wider community.

The care we provide today has been shaped by research and by the people who volunteered to take part. By supporting research in general practice, we can help answer questions that matter to patients and improve healthcare for future generations.

What could taking part involve?

Research covers much more than testing new medicines. Depending on the study, you might be invited to:

• Complete a questionnaire about your health or experiences of care.
• Talk to a researcher by telephone, online or in person.
• Attend additional appointments or provide a sample.
• Take part in a study looking at treatments, tests or ways of managing a health condition.

Some research also uses information from routine health records to understand patterns of illness and improve care, with safeguards to protect patients' privacy.

Each study has its own requirements. Some involve people with particular conditions, while others need volunteers who are generally well.

How might I be invited?

You may hear about a suitable study during an appointment or receive an invitation by letter, telephone, text message or email. An invitation may come from the practice or a research partner working on our behalf.

Receiving an invitation does not mean you have been enrolled.

You will be given information about the study and how to find out more.

If you are unsure whether a research invitation is genuine, please contact the practice via administrative EConsult.

Taking part is always your choice

You decide whether to join a study. Before agreeing, you will have the opportunity to understand its purpose, what it involves, any possible benefits or risks, and the time commitment. You can ask questions and take time to consider your decision.

Choosing not to take part will never affect your care at Spa Medical Centre.

If you join a study, you can change your mind and withdraw. The research team will explain what this means, including what happens to information already collected.

Taking part may not always benefit your own health directly, but it can help improve understanding and care for others.

Your information and privacy

Protecting your information is an essential part of research. The information provided for each study will explain what data is needed, who will have access to it and how it will be protected.

Research using routine health records can have different arrangements from studies that invite you to participate directly. Please refer to our practice privacy notice and the relevant research partner's information.

Interested in finding out more?

You can explore studies across the UK through NIHR's free Be Part of Research service.

Our research collaborators

Spa Medical Centre belongs to research networks and works with collaborators, for example:

NIHR Research Delivery Network

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) supports research to improve health and care. Its Research Delivery Network helps GP practices and other health and care services deliver studies, giving more people opportunities to participate in research close to home.

Find out more about the NIHR Research Delivery Network

uMed

uMed helps GP practices connect patients with research opportunities relevant to their health. It uses a secure technology platform and a clinical support team to help identify suitable studies and send practice-approved invitations.

Read uMed's information for patients

University of Oxford and ORCHID

The University of Oxford hosts the Oxford Clinical Informatics Digital Hub (ORCHID), a research platform that brings together information from GP records and other health data. It supports research into illnesses, treatments and healthcare, as well as monitoring infections and vaccine effectiveness through the Oxford–Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre.

Find out more about Oxford and ORCHID

Privacy notice

Spa Medical Centre supports research through the NIHR Research Delivery Network, uMed (Umedeor Ltd) and the University of Oxford’s ORCHID platform. For NIHR-supported studies, the study privacy notice explains who is responsible for your information, how it is used and how long it is retained. uMed processes relevant health and contact information on our behalf to identify suitable research opportunities and send practice-approved invitations. It separates identifying details from health data and restricts access to authorised staff and systems. Oxford’s ORCHID-E database stores de-identified health information securely in the UK, with approved researchers accessing only information needed for their project. Specified processing by uMed and Oxford may take place without individual consent under Section 251 arrangements and associated safeguards. Joining a study is voluntary: you will receive information before deciding, and declining or withdrawing will not affect your care. We respect applicable objections and data opt-outs;