HDFT Research & Innovation

01/04/2026

We recently said a fond farewell to Caroline, our Research Optometrist, as she begins her well-earned retirement after 13 years of helping our Ophthalmology Research Team, and longer as part of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust's Optical Services Team.

Caroline was presented with a Making a Difference Award on her last day 🏆. She was nominated in recognition of her exceptional dedication and commitment. Caroline chose to delay her retirement to ensure the successful completion of the FOCUS study, demonstrating remarkable selflessness and professionalism.

Caroline consistently goes above and beyond, supporting patients not only in her role but also in her own time through the Vision Support Centre and “New to Sight Loss” sessions. Her compassion, expertise, and commitment to improving patients’ quality of life have made a lasting impact. Caroline’s willingness to put others first reflects the very best of the Trust’s values, and she will be greatly missed as a colleague, mentor and friend. 💙

09/03/2026

Our Introduction to Health Research event is taking place tomorrow! 🔬🧬💊

Registration is still open - please see below for further information and the registration link.

Health Research Volunteer Event – Get Involved with HDFT Research & Innovation

Are you interested in supporting the work of the HDFT Research & Innovation Department? We’re looking for volunteers to play an important role in shaping and supporting our research activity.

A range of opportunities are available, including:
• Contributing to the design of research studies
• Helping to promote research within our communities
• Ensuring research is accessible and inclusive
• Supporting patients throughout their research journey
• Sharing your own lived experience of a health condition

No previous research experience is needed—just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

We warmly invite you to our Introduction to Health Research Event at 6.15pm on Tuesday 10 March, held at our Innovation Hub in Knaresborough.

Please see the event poster for details on how to register. We look forward to welcoming you and exploring how you can help make a real difference to future research.

You can register your interest in attending and receive further information on the event at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO44APCWwTm3dNltVkJI1fcrFUQVZSTDJBTUxKRVZJTjJVV0NMQktVRVU4Si4u&route=shorturl

07/03/2026

Registration is still open for our Introduction to Health Research event on this coming Tuesday 🔬🧬💊

Please see below for further information and the registration link.

Health Research Volunteer Event – Get Involved with HDFT Research & Innovation

Are you interested in supporting the work of the HDFT Research & Innovation Department? We’re looking for volunteers to play an important role in shaping and supporting our research activity.

A range of opportunities are available, including:
• Contributing to the design of research studies
• Helping to promote research within our communities
• Ensuring research is accessible and inclusive
• Supporting patients throughout their research journey
• Sharing your own lived experience of a health condition

No previous research experience is needed—just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

We warmly invite you to our Introduction to Health Research Event at 6.15pm on Tuesday 10 March, held at our Innovation Hub in Knaresborough.

Please see the event poster for details on how to register. We look forward to welcoming you and exploring how you can help make a real difference to future research.

You can register your interest in attending and receive further information on the event at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO44APCWwTm3dNltVkJI1fcrFUQVZSTDJBTUxKRVZJTjJVV0NMQktVRVU4Si4u&route=shorturl

05/03/2026

We are looking for volunteers to help shape and support research across the Trust.

You can get involved by:

• Helping to shape the design of research studies
• Promoting research within the community
• Ensuring research is accessible and inclusive
• Supporting patients throughout their research journey
• Sharing lived experiences

No previous research experience is needed, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

We are holding an Introduction to Health Research Event on Tuesday 10 March at 6:15pm at the Innovation Hub in Knaresborough. Please register here ⬇️ if you would like to attend - we look forward to seeing you!

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO44APCWwTm3dNltVkJI1fcrFUQVZSTDJBTUxKRVZJTjJVV0NMQktVRVU4Si4u&route=shorturl

Health Research Volunteer Event – Get Involved with HDFT Research & Innovation

Are you interested in supporting the work of the HDFT Research & Innovation Department? We’re looking for volunteers to play an important role in shaping and supporting our research activity.

A range of opportunities are available, including:
• Contributing to the design of research studies
• Helping to promote research within our communities
• Ensuring research is accessible and inclusive
• Supporting patients throughout their research journey
• Sharing your own lived experience of a health condition

No previous research experience is needed—just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

We warmly invite you to our Introduction to Health Research Event at 6.15pm on Tuesday 10 March, held at our Innovation Hub in Knaresborough.

Please see the event poster for details on how to register. We look forward to welcoming you and exploring how you can help make a real difference to future research.

You can register your interest in attending and receive further information on the event at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO44APCWwTm3dNltVkJI1fcrFUQVZSTDJBTUxKRVZJTjJVV0NMQktVRVU4Si4u&route=shorturl

25/02/2026

25/02/2026

25/02/2026

A new pop-up Clinical Research Facility (CRF) has opened in a small section at the front of Farndale Ward at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, marking an exciting step forward for clinical research at HDFT.

A huge thank you goes to the entire Research & Innovation team, plus all our Principal Investigators, for their flexibility, enthusiasm and commitment in making this possible.

This pop-up facility represents an important milestone for HDFT. It allows us to see participants in a dedicated space and expand the types of trials we can deliver. This will strengthen our role as a research-active Trust and help to bring the latest innovations to the people we serve.

We’re ambitious about the future and this is just the beginning. As our research portfolio grows, so too will our capacity to offer cutting-edge treatments, improve care pathways and contribute to national and global evidence.

If you’re interested in getting involved in research, our team would love to hear from you and can be contacted at hdft.research@nhs.net. Let’s grow research together!

24/02/2026

Health Research Volunteer Event – Get Involved with HDFT Research & Innovation

Are you interested in supporting the work of the HDFT Research & Innovation Department? We’re looking for volunteers to play an important role in shaping and supporting our research activity.

A range of opportunities are available, including:
• Contributing to the design of research studies
• Helping to promote research within our communities
• Ensuring research is accessible and inclusive
• Supporting patients throughout their research journey
• Sharing your own lived experience of a health condition

No previous research experience is needed—just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

We warmly invite you to our Introduction to Health Research Event at 6.15pm on Tuesday 10 March, held at our Innovation Hub in Knaresborough.

Please see the event poster for details on how to register. We look forward to welcoming you and exploring how you can help make a real difference to future research.

You can register your interest in attending and receive further information on the event at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO44APCWwTm3dNltVkJI1fcrFUQVZSTDJBTUxKRVZJTjJVV0NMQktVRVU4Si4u&route=shorturl

23/02/2026

The Generation Study opened to recruitment at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust in July 2025 and we've had an amazing response so far, with just over 500 participants agreeing to take part to date! 🎉

This is a fantastic achievement for a small Trust and we are proud to have consistently recruited at such a high rate. Many congratulations to our Maternity Research and Midwifery teams who work together to run the study so successfully.

Run by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, the Generation Study is investigating the genomes of newborn babies to look for 200+ rare conditions which usually appear in early childhood and can be treated within the NHS. The study will help us to learn more about genes and health, so that we can improve testing and treatment for genetic conditions in the future.

If you are currently pregnant and 16+ years old, you may be eligible to take part.

The test takes place shortly after birth: a small sample of blood is taken from the umbilical cord for most babies, with the option for a heel prick instead if cord blood sampling is unsuccessful. Test results are received within a few months.

Taking part is free and optional.

Please visit https://www.generationstudy.co.uk/ for more information - you can register your interest there, or contact the Harrogate study team directly by calling/texting 07990 510847 or emailing
hdft.generationstudy@nhs.net

01/01/2026

Today marks not only the start of 2026, but also our 20th anniversary year - marking 2 transformative decades of life-changing NIHR research 🎉

Throughout this year, we'll be celebrating our enormous impact across health and care, showcasing how our work:
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 changes lives
💎 improves quality of care
⚡ powers pioneering new treatments
🏥 helps make the NHS more efficient and effective for everyone

And we're not stopping here. Building on 20 years of progress, we're determined to have the greatest impact we can by continuing to tackle the biggest health and care challenges of our time.

Watch this space throughout 2026 to hear more about our highlights from the last 20 years and how we'll continue to drive life-changing research for the health and wealth of the nation.

17/10/2025

It's fantastic to hear about such a positive outcome for baby Freddie as a result of his family participating in the Generation Study.

The chances of protecting his eyesight have been greatly improved by discovering his eye tumours early and starting his treatment very quickly.

Please visit https://www.generationstudy.co.uk/ if you would like to learn more about the study.

If you are currently pregnant, you can also register your interest in taking part at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust via the study website.

02/10/2025

The Generation Study opened to recruitment at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust in late July and we've had an amazing response so far, with 230 participants agreeing to take part to date!

Run by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, the Generation Study is investigating the genomes of newborn babies to look for 200+ rare conditions which usually appear in early childhood and can be treated within the NHS. The study will help us to learn more about genes and health, so that we can improve testing and treatment for genetic conditions in the future.

If you are currently pregnant and 16+ years old, you may be eligible to take part.

The test takes place shortly after birth: a small sample of blood is taken from the umbilical cord for most babies, with the option for a heel prick instead if cord blood sampling is unsuccessful. Test results are received within a few months.

Taking part is free and optional.

Please visit https://www.generationstudy.co.uk/ for more information - you can register your interest there, or contact the Harrogate study team directly by calling/texting 07990 510847 or emailing
hdft.generationstudy@nhs.net