Research Service
Research has long been supported and recognised by clinicians for its importance in healthcare; it's one of the main drivers in providing evidence-based improved treatment and care options for patients.
Research has long been supported and recognised by clinicians for its importance in healthcare; it's one of the main drivers in providing evidence-based improved treatment and care options for patients.
Each year in England, there are hundreds of research studies operating in hospitals and GP practices, trying to answer specific research questions which will help inform future care for all patients.
Pier Health Group is a forward thinking organisation. We have our own Research Department with dedication administrative resources making our research processes effective. We are keen to bring opportunities to participate in research studies to all patients across all disease areas and we invite eligible patients to participate in studies via invitation from their GP practice. Participating in research studies is a personal decision and has no impact on usual care for the patient if they wish to decline an opportunity. When patients do wish to join a study, our research team support the patient with answers to questions and we offer appointments at convenient times, local to them, so that they can participate in studies which interest them.
Contact us at Bnssg.pierhealthresearch@nhs.net to learn more about this service.
Clinical research is the study of health and disease in people. It plays a vital role in improving medical care by helping researchers discover better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat various conditions.
This type of research often involves volunteers who take part in clinical trials — carefully designed studies that test new medicines, treatments, medical devices, or healthcare approaches.
All clinical research is conducted under strict ethical and regulatory standards to ensure participant safety and produce reliable results.
In short, clinical research is how we turn scientific discoveries into real-world healthcare solutions.
Clinical research is essential to the progress of medicine. Without it, we wouldn’t have the safe and effective treatments, vaccines, and medical technologies we rely on today.
Here’s why it matters:
In short, clinical research saves lives — and shapes the future of healthcare.
Taking part in a clinical study is more than just receiving care — it’s an opportunity to help shape the future of medicine.
Whether you're healthy or living with a condition, your participation matters. Clinical research depends on people like you.
Safety is the top priority in all clinical research. Every study we deliver has strict measures in place to protect the health, rights, and well-being of participants.
Pier Health Research only deliver research studies on behalf of UK Universities and Industry Partners, where the safety of the medicine or medical device has already been established.
Pier Health Research do not create or design research studies.
Pier Health Research are a central team working on behalf of all 8 practices in Weston-Super-Mare, delivering research studies for all eligible patients.
The team provides research services from 168 Parklands Medical Centre, Anson Road, Locking Parklands, Weston-Super-Mare, BS24 7PR.
Our multidisciplinary team includes General Practitioners (GPs), Research Doctors, Lead Research Nurse, Research Nurses, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, and Study Coordinators, all working together to ensure the smooth and successful delivery of every study we undertake.
Each member of our team is a qualified and experienced professional, with expertise across various phases of clinical trials and therapeutic areas. From early-stage investigations to large-scale, multi-centre studies, our combined knowledge ensures that research is conducted to the highest clinical and ethical standards.
We embrace the use of new technologies and modern research tools to streamline study processes, ensure data accuracy, and prioritise patient safety and comfort throughout their involvement in clinical trials.
Most importantly, we are driven by a shared purpose: To create a research experience where patients feel informed, supported, and empowered — making their journey into clinical research as seamless and reassuring as possible.
At any time, the team are conducting a range of research studies available to specific members of the population who will be invited to participate in a study if they are eligible.
These studies may be focused on clinical diseases or designing new treatment approaches.
For example, areas for research studies can include the following:
Occasionally, the team are also able to offer research studies delivered by our healthcare research partners.
Through our partnership with uMed, we offer patients access to the Access Patient Research Registers, designed to connect people with long-term conditions to ongoing research.
uMed builds consented patient cohorts that accelerate research and generate insights that improve outcomes for patients. These registers are designed to connect patients living with specific long-term conditions with researchers working to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent these conditions.
Patients from Pier Health practices are already making a difference:
Some are actively participating in observational research.
The Bial Study, the first observational sub-study of AccessPD, is underway in collaboration with Bial, a company focused on new therapeutic solutions for Parkinson’s disease.
Patients have a say in the kind of research they want to support.
Recruitment to studies is often the main delay in advancing medical knowledge. Registers help speed this up.
All patients, regardless of where they live or receive care, can be offered equal opportunities to take part in cutting-edge research.
Research shaped by patient involvement leads to real-world improvements in treatment and services.
A UK-wide register that supports patients with Parkinson’s disease to hear about and take part in research studies relevant to them.
It empowers individuals to be directly involved in shaping the future of Parkinson’s care and treatment.
This register enables patients with ILD to be contacted about relevant clinical trials and observational studies, contributing to improved understanding of this complex group of conditions.
AccessCMD supports research into conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and related metabolic disorders. It helps identify participants for research studies exploring prevention, management, and treatment of cardiometabolic conditions.
Patients are essential partners in clinical research. We are committed to involving people from all walks of life in shaping the way studies are designed, delivered, and understood.
Your voice helps ensure that the research we conduct is:
By engaging with patients, carers, and members of the public, we gain valuable perspectives that improve the quality, impact, and inclusivity of our research.
We welcome your involvement in various ways:
Whether you have experience as a patient, carer, or simply an interest in health research, your insight is valuable.
We would like to hear from you!
If you have questions, ideas, or suggestions about how we can better involve the public in our research activities, please let us know.
Fill in our quick feedback form here or email us.
Together, we can make research more meaningful, respectful, and effective - for everyone.
