Hi, my name is David and I’m 57 years old I recently became self-employed doing graphic design which has brought lots of flexibility to my working hours.
I heard an advert for Quotient Sciences We Need You whilst listening to Spotify (being too tight to pay for the ad-free version!) Listening to the different criteria, I thought ‘I can do that!’ and put my application in via their website to become a volunteer.
I followed the process and a few weeks went by, and I’d pretty much forgotten about it when I suddenly had an email detailing all the studies that I was eligible for. I called the office and spoke with the recruitment team – we talked through the criteria & my eligibility – and then agreed a date and time for a screening session to see if I was suitable for my chosen clinical trial.
This was my first ever application to join a paid clinical trial so I had no idea what to expect. Turning up for the screening, I was very impressed first by the modern building and then by the interior which was spotlessly clean and could have been a private hospital.
The staff were friendly, warm and very professional making me feel comfortable and I left hoping the results would get me on the trial.
Less than a week later, I got a call – I was in! – exciting times - although my wife wasn’t exactly looking forward to not seeing me for 11 days (well that’s what she said!) , but when I told her we could use the payment for a really nice holiday, she soon perked up! Coming onto the ward I introduced myself to my bed neighbour who revealed himself to be a veteran of 20 trials he took me under his wing explaining how the trial would run from a volunteers perspective (a real advocate for the clinic) which was really interesting. Everything was so well explained I would have been fine without my new friend, but it was good to have him with me.
The food was seriously good, much better than I expected, freshly cooked and generous portions ( a chef had spent time prepping and serving us very attentively for the days we were there), plus we also had access to free coffee, tea and squash during our stay. We occasionally were advised to wait before having these – just to fit in with the needs of the trial – but the staff would keep us informed when this would be.
Time was spent reading, playing pool, table tennis, listening to music and watching movies/YoutTube. Our great liaison officer also kept us entertained with bingo and quizzes so the days didn’t drag as I feared it might.
I was also able to do some graphics work as I bought a smaller monitor for my mac mini, enabling me to work in bed from time to time.
Friends had different reactions when I told them I was doing a clinical trial; from the ‘that’s Interesting - tell me more’ to the ‘no way would I do that’ which I expected. Usually, peoples’ reasons for not doing them are easily picked apart when you have a proper discussion with them, but for some there is no going ahead and that’s fine.
So, there it is in a nutshell - you get paid for your time when volunteering to help the advancement of new medicines and , you have every reason to feel a bit smug that you’ve done a good thing while you’re deciding how to spend your inconvenience allowance – a no brainer really.
I would 100% return to do another trial having had an overwhelmingly positive experience, made new friends and took the opportunity to just detox and wind down away from the pressures of everyday life. Have a go – you won’t regret it.