Medway Maritime Hospital is recruiting children for diabetes screening clinics as part of the UK-first ELSA (EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes) study.
The innovative study, which offers risk screening for type 1 diabetes, for children aged three to 13 years old, is the largest project of its kind in the UK.
Laura Adams, Senior Clinical Research Nurse, Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: “Taking part is very quick and easy. Children are given a simple finger stick blood test to find out their risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the future.
“Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong and serious condition and results from the study will give us the opportunity to test new treatments that could delay the start of the condition.
“We are proud to be part of a number of important clinical trials and other research initiatives that are pioneering effective treatment of many different disease areas. In 2023/24 we conducted 125 research studies here at Medway.”
To help children, aged three to 13 years old, in Medway take part in the study, the hospital’s Research and Innovation Team is running clinics over the summer, which will take place in the Magpie Outpatients Centre, Medway Maritime Hospital on the following dates:
- Thursday 8 August, 10am to 4pm
- Friday 9 August, 9am to 1pm
- Monday 12 August, 1pm to 5pm
- Thursday 15 August, 10am to 4pm
- Friday 16 August, 9am to 1pm
- Thursday 22 August, 1pm to 5pm
- Monday 2 September, 10am to 1pm
- Friday 6 September, 10am to 1pm
The clinics can be booked in advance through Laura Adams, Senior Clinical Research Nurse on 01634 976750 or lauraadams3@nhs.net.
Consent should be completed before the appointment through the ELSA website.
Information sheets for parents and children explaining the study are also available to download.
To date, the trial has recruited more than 20,000 children across the UK.
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