Patients frequently volunteer to take part in research to find new treatments, but how often do they get the opportunity to be involved as partners in both the research behind the treatment and the development of new clinical services?

The University of Bristol and the United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust are committed to a much greater involvement of patients, not only as subjects who try out new treatments, but by enabling them to become full ‘Patient Partners’. But to be confident as a Patient Partner, people need to have some understanding about how the research system works.

Professor John Kirwan and Dr Sarah Hewlett, supported by the University and the Hospital Trust, have been running special ‘research training days’ just for this purpose. Patient volunteers come and learn about clinical trials, the rules and regulations, and how they can make a difference by putting forward their ideas on the various research plans the Rheumatology Unit is considering.

And this approach to supporting patient involvement – investing time and effort to make sure Patient Partners can really make a special contribution – is having an impact far outside Bristol. At the training day on12 October, patients will be flying in from Scandinavia and Holland to join their fellow patients from Bristol. These patients want to see the same approach adopted in their own countries. What started as a local initiative has turned into an international movement to put patients at the heart of new developments in research.

The department leading the way on Patient Research Partners is the Rheumatology Unit, which deals with arthritis and rheumatism. Led by Professor John Kirwan and Dr Sarah Hewlett, and working closely with patient volunteer Pam Richards, the Rheumatology Unit has so far involved 11 patient partners in working out new research projects, putting them into practice, analysing the results, and turning them into new ways of helping people with arthritis.