Croydon to pioneer mass NHS research programme – with help of local volunteers

Thousands of people living in Croydon are receiving invitations from the NHS to join the UK’s largest ever health research programme — which aims to better prevent, detect and treat conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. 

The goal is to recruit five million adult volunteers across the country, collect information from them on their health and lifestyle, and create one of the most detailed pictures ever of people’s health.

Croydon is one of the first towns in the country where people will be able to take part in Our Future Health.

From today 16,000 people will be able to attend appointments over the next six months at Croydon’s Centrale Shopping Centre, North End. 

Letters are going out to thousands more – 86,000 in total from Croydon and Stratford. 

At their appointment, volunteers will have a blood sample taken and be offered information about their own health.

In the future, people who join the programme will also be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of certain diseases. 

Across London, volunteers will also be able to attend appointments at Boots stores across the Capital — Kensington High Street, White City, The Strand and Piccadilly Circus.  

Pictured top: Croydon Centrale Shopping Centre (Picture: Wikimedia Commons / Peter Trimming)