Have you had a serious injury? Can you help shape a study looking at how best to support people who have serious injuries to return to work or education?

RoadPeace has been asked to help publicise a study that is looking into how to support people who have incurred serious injury in events such as road collisions.

We know that many people who have experienced a serious traumatic injury experience difficulty in returning to employment or full time education. This may be due to the physical effect of their injuries or to psychological issues which may continue for a prolonged period. The Return to work after Trauma (or ROWTATE) study is a six year programme of work which aims to develop and then test a method of providing help for such people to make a successful return to the workplace or to education.  If successful, the method would be employed within an NHS setting to help seriously injured patients in the UK.

For some people who experience serious injuries, the consequences can be life changing.  More patients now survive due to improved medical care. However, they may experience longer-term physical and psychological problems, which can affect their chances of returning to work or education and limit quality of life.  Unfortunately, NHS support to assist injured people to return to work is patchy and poorly developed.

The ROWTATE study aims to develop and then test a rehabilitation programme to assist people who have experienced serious injury to return to and remain in work or education.

They are looking for people with personal experience of serious injury to work as partners in this research to help design the rehabilitation programme and advise us on the research. They might also get involved in some aspects of the research (following training), help make sense of the findings and communicate them to the wider public.

The study is based at the University of Nottingham but also involves hospitals in London, Cambridge, Leeds and Bristol. Meetings are mainly held in Nottingham but travel expenses will be paid for those travelling from further afield and there is opportunity to work via Skype, telephone and email.  The study will take several years to complete.

If you are interested in joining this advisory group please contact Trevor Jones the Patient Lead using email jonesmob56@outlook.com.

Updated on: 13 November 2019