If you agree to take part in a clinical trial suggested by the hospital you are attending, your GP will be told only if you give your consent. It can sometimes help for your GP to know you are in a trial as they will be responsible for your day-to-day health, but they can only be told with your permission. If you have any queries or problems during the trial you should talk to the specialist doctor responsible for the trial, or your research nurse.

Your medical records concerning the trial remain confidential. Sometimes a representative of any relevant drug company, or staff from the trials office who are coordinating the trial, may look at them to check that all the necessary information is collected accurately. No one who looks at your notes can give information to anyone outside the healthcare team looking after you. In the same way, when the results are published you will not be named.