One of the top directors at Bolton’s NHS trust has taken part in a new research project that could ‘revolutionise the future of healthcare' and is asking Bolton people to do the same.
Dr Francis Andrews, medical director at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, has given a small sample of blood and allowed some measurements to be taken for the groundbreaking Our Future Health study.
This will help medics conduct vital research into cancer, diabetes and other respiratory illnesses.
Dr Andrews said: “It requires very little effort to join Our Future Health, but the data collected, which is kept secure and anonymised, will be incredibly helpful.
“It will allow us to detect disease much earlier than we can do at the moment, offer new treatments when they are detected, and lead to better health outcomes.
“This programme has the potential to revolutionise the healthcare at this hospital, I can’t overemphasise that.”
Dr Andrews explained that this could have a significant knock-on effect for A&E departments all over the country, which he knows could be especially significant in Bolton.
He said: “In my role as an A&E doctor I see a lot of patients, who have experienced the very serious effects of diabetes, cancer, of circulatory and respiratory diseases, and of mental health too.
“Often, they’re diagnosed at very late stages, so they have severe life-threatening complications when they arrive at A&E.
“If we’re able to diagnose these conditions much earlier, or able to understand who is at risk of developing these conditions much earlier, we can avoid serious complications by diagnosing and intervening earlier.”
The programme is also available for people all over Bolton to take part in.
Dr Andrews said: “By taking part in this programme, you’re helping yourself, your family, your friends and your community in a way we have never been able to before.”
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He added: “The local population being so diverse has led to a greater curiosity about why it is that we have different rates of health problems among different sections of the population.
“For example, we know that some ethnic minority populations have much higher instances of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“If we can get a good data set that’s representative of Bolton’s population, we will learn much more about how to improve everyone’s health, it’s a very exciting time.”
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