A week-long thank you has been given to The Royal Oldham’s Intensive Care Unit team to recognise their brilliant work in research since the start of the pandemic.
Oldham’s dedicated clinical research staff organised a week of treats to say thank you to the whole ICU team and to recognise the difference they have made to patients through embedding research into clinical practice.
The ICU team, who are also Oldham Care Organisation’s Team of the Year, have worked tirelessly since March 2020, offering Covid patients the opportunity to try new treatments and to contribute to future research through observational studies and giving samples to biobanks.
In the first 12 months of the pandemic, that meant 2,700 patients at Oldham took part in research – most of them in NHS priority research (known as urgent public health studies) which are improving care, identifying treatments and developing vaccines and other prevention measures.
More than 200 took part in the renowned RECOVERY study, which has identified that a readily available steroid, dexamethasone, and an anti-inflammatory treatment, tocilizumab, reduce the risk of death when given to hospitalised patients with Covid-19.
As well as providing coffee, tea and cakes at break-times for ICU staff, the week will also offer them the chance of learning more about on-going research that can make a real difference to patients.
The thank you week has been organised by Research Nurses Joy Dearden and Michelle Mulcahy, with the support of the rest of the Oldham research delivery team.
Joy said: “The ICU team have made a great contribution to research and have all been extremely positive about our studies. This has given patients the opportunity to try new treatments and has enhanced the research culture in this busy unit. We are very grateful to all the staff there."