On Aug. 17, 2021, Our Future Health, announced that it planned to be the UK’s largest health research programme, has welcomed the first members of the public to take part.

• Our Future Health, the UK’s largest health research programme, welcomes first volunteers
• Endorsement from 16 leading health charities for Our Future Health’s pilot phase to help accelerate research across a wide range of diseases and health conditions
• Programme secures £100 million financial support from leading life sciences companies
• Programme will help researchers tackle the growing burden of disease in the UK: 59% of those aged 65 or older in the UK have two or more serious conditions or impairments, projected to reach 70% by 2035

In 2021, over 3,000 people joined Our Future Health via partnerships with NHS Blood and Transplant and NIHR BioResource, following extensive consultation and input from members of the public. The programme eventually aims to recruit up to five million adults from across the UK to create an incredibly detailed picture that truly reflects the whole of the population.

By joining the voluntary research programme, people will be able to support vital research to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat diseases and health conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and stroke. A major focus will be developing approaches for identifying diseases such as cancer and heart disease before they become symptomatic.

Researchers from across the entire life sciences community, including academia, industry and the NHS, will be able to apply to study Our Future Health resources for their crucial research. Volunteers’ data will be de-identified and held in ‘trusted research environments’ that meet strict security criteria and an access board, including independent experts and members of the public, will ensure Our Future Health resources are only used for health research in the public interest.