NIHR BioResource: Contact detail

The NIHR Bioresource consists of several groups of participants: ~70k from the general population and blood donors (COMPARE, INTERVAL and STRIDES studies); ~19k with one of ~50 rare diseases (RD) including a ~5k pilot for GEL; ~30k with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) which include the members of Gut Reaction, the Health Data Research Hub for IBD; and ~20k with Anxiety or depression (GLAD study). It intends to extend recruitment in all areas, and to other rare and common disease groups, with a target of ~300k by 2022. The NIHR BioResource acquires contact details - name, address, email address, phone/mobile number - from participants at recruitment. This is used to recontact participants to invite them to take part in experimental medicine studies, although sample-only and data-only studies are permitted. We also record NHS number, where known, to allow linkage to healthcare records. Recruitment takes place at blood donor centres, disease clinics, online (particularly for the Mental Health BioResource) but also from more public settings. A participant is not considered a member of the NIHR BioResource without contact details. NHS number availability depends on recruitment method: blood donors and those recruited through clinics will have these to hand, general members of the public will not.