Imperial Health Knowledge Bank

Why join Imperial Health Knowledge Bank

As a research-led NHS trust, Imperial College Healthcare believes that each of us can make a unique and valuable contribution to improving tests, treatments and our understanding of health. The Imperial Health Knowledge Bank provides all our patients with an opportunity to take part in research.  

You will be contributing to a collection of health information and joining our database of people who are happy to be contacted about future health research studies.    

Researchers may use your samples and information to learn more about health conditions or to help them find diseases earlier and improve care for patients. 

How we will use the information

If you consent to take part in the Imperial Health Knowledge Bank:

• We will add your details to a list of people we can contact about future research studies to ask if you want to take part 
• We will automatically add health data that has been collected as part of your routine care to the Knowledge Bank 
• We will ask if you would like to provide a blood sample to be safely stored as part of the database for future research. You can say ‘no’ to providing a blood sample.
• Through a data access committee, we will facilitate researchers safely and securely accessing the health data contained in the knowledge bank for research studies that could lead to new treatments and a better understanding of diseases. 

How to join

Please watch the video above and read the participant information sheet for detailed information about joining the Imperial Health Knowledge Bank.  

If you have received a text message from us inviting you to join the Imperial Health Knowledge Bank, you can join via the link on the text. 

For further questions or to join, please contact the team directly: imperial.healthknowledgebank@nhs.net or 0203 312 2124

Opting out

If you do not want to receive an invitation to join the Imperial Health Knowledge Bank, please contact the team by phone, email, or letter. If you have already registered through the National Data Opt-Out then you will not be contacted about Imperial Health Knowledge Bank and do not need to make a separate opt-out request.

Phone: 0203 312 2124

Email: imperial.healthknowledgebank@nhs.net

Address: The Bays, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street London W2 1NY

Benefit for you

You may not benefit personally from any research carried out using your samples and data. However, the use of your samples and data may lead to the development of new drugs, treatments or tests and the results of research will benefit patients in the future.

How to withdraw 

You can change your mind and withdraw your consent to be included in the Imperial Health Knowledge Bank at any time. Please contact us directly at imperial.healthknowledgebank@nhs.net or 0203 312 2124

Confidentiality

Best ethical and legal practices will be followed to ensure that all information collected about you will be handled safely and securely. Identifying personal details will never be released to researchers without your consent. 

For researchers - how to access the data

Applications are now open for researchers who wish to invite patients in the database to participate in a research study, or to have access to the data and samples for research studies that could improve care or even lead to new treatments.   

Researchers will need to explain their project in detail and access will be considered by a monthly committee made up of patient representatives, clinicians and academics, who will jointly determine if proposed research projects are an appropriate use of data, ethically sound and in the wider public interest. 

To find out more or apply to access Imperial Health Knowledge Bank, please contact imperial.healthknowledgebank@nhs.net