Hi, I’m no stranger to Quotient and all that they do as I have family members who have participated in trials over the years. It wasn’t until recently when I was casually listening to my local radio station and heard a commercial asking for volunteers, the thought of applying crossed my mind. The unfortunate thing was that along with that thought came many negative ones as to why I shouldn’t volunteer, hence the title of this blog! You see, I don’t like anything ‘medical’. I don’t like needles; I don’t like hospitals. In fact, I’m one of those individuals who won’t visit my GP unless a body part is literally falling off....and even then, I’ll usually pass it off as ‘’tis merely a scratch’!
As the title suggests, ‘sometimes it’s good to challenge yourself’ and that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do recently by taking part in a clinical trial. No more excuses. I wanted to ‘face my fears’ and achieving this whilst doing something worthwhile, was a bonus. I also wanted to break the cycle of not taking enough time off work so the whole experience was a bit of a break for me. Not to mention, as a volunteer, you receive an ‘inconvenience allowance’ which really is welcome!
My experience on the trial was just amazing and the biggest reason for this was down to the staff. You just know when folks are happy in their work, and it showed in spades. Professional. Friendly. Caring. Reassuring. They genuinely couldn’t do enough for you to make sure your stay was as comfortable as possible and there are always medics around if you have any questions or concerns. My fellow volunteers, assembled from far and wide, were a great bunch of people too and we had such a good laugh. One of the funnier moments for me, and there were many, was when I used the term ‘catheter’ instead of ‘canular’ when talking about what procedures to expect on the first day. The look of fear on some peoples’ faces was hilarious until someone picked up on my error! The environment was always relaxed and friendly with a good measure of humour thrown in.
The facilities at Quotient are decent too. Everything nice, clean, and well maintained as you would expect. There are times between procedures when you could find yourself at a loose end, however, every effort has been made to fill those voids with facilities such as a pool table, outside courtyard area for stretching your legs and a communal TV/lounge area with tea/coffee making facilities. Even quizzes and pool tournaments are arranged on certain days. If you need to do work ‘stuff’ whilst on your stay, there is Wi-Fi and a seating area for you to work from. The food was 5-star and that makes such a difference to the quality of your stay. There is a good selection of quality meals to chose from on a pre-order menu that you receive on arrival. I really couldn’t fault the food.
I would, and do, recommend anyone who has doubts about signing up for a clinical trial to seriously question those thoughts. When I look back at all the concerns and reservations that I had pre-trial, most of which had melted away by the end of my 2nd day, I wish I had done this 10 years ago. It’s surprising what you can achieve when go beyond your comfort zone.
There are varying schedules for trials that can and do work around your work/lifestyle so don’t let that put you off.
Overall, my first clinical trial has been nothing, but a positive experience and I hope the above has given anyone considering a trial, a small insight into what participating is really like. I would urge anyone to give it a go….
Finally, thank you once again to the staff at Quotient, Ruddington and my fellow volunteers for making my stay such a great experience and one I’ll remember with a smile!
Here’s to the next one!