In today’s fast-paced world, we scan words by the million… Photos fly by at lightening speed and we clock them all in an instant, our neurological sensors fizzing like fireworks. Whether it’s online or on the bus, we are assaulted by a barrage of visuals and a cacophony of sound, until it all becomes a blur. No depth. No value. Just noise. In this world of distractions, we demand our content has 3 things: speed, closure and a quick-fix.

But research is not like that. It is too important to rush. We are dealing with people’s lives here (including yours) so every detail of must be scrutinised. We ‘slow cook’. Nor is there closure. All research is a work-in-progress, as is much of the work shown here. We are proud of that. If we do not experiment, how else will we find new ways to increase impact, better communicate and by doing so, save the NHS money? Even historical research is re-born every time it saves a patient. Every answer spawns ten more questions, because once we know how to cure a patient, we strive to do it faster, kinder, better… So how do we ‘archive’ this journey without end? How do we distill the passion that drives our research? How do we hear the quiet, inquisitive voice of an early career researcher in a world full of noise? By reminding you that these aren’t just words, they’re years of toil and sweat. These aren’t just snapshots, they’re moments frozen-in-time, in which one human does their best to relieve the suffering of another. Every voice is a curious person yearning to connect.

NHS R&D NW won the award for ‘Most Innovative NHS Team’ in 2017, at the North West Coast Research and Innovation awards. We provide strategic and practical support to build research, development and innovation capacity through the full range of NHS organisations in the region. We can help you at any stage of your research journey… whether you’re just contemplating a research career and need some advice or support or you’ve completed your research project and want to publicise it in an effective, influential way. What we are showing you here is just the tip of the iceberg. We have been singing the praises of healthcare research for over a decade. If you would like to know more about how we can help, then please get in touch.

For all research enquiries please contact Jo-Anne at: joanne.simpson@researchnorthwest.nhs.uk