Frequently Asked Questions

TrialConnect is a free website that helps you search UK clinical trials and see which ones might be relevant to your condition. We list trials from public registries and use a matching tool to help you understand your options — you then contact the trial team directly to find out more.

Yes. TrialConnect is always free for patients — there are no paywalls, subscriptions, or hidden fees. We're funded by research sponsors, not by charging patients.

TrialConnect is run by TA Clinical Solutions Limited, a company registered in England (company number 17135935), registered office 17 Central Avenue, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 8RX.

No. TrialConnect is an independent platform and is not affiliated with the NHS or NIHR. Many of the trials listed do take place at NHS hospitals, but TrialConnect itself is a separate, private company.

Trial listings come from public registries, mainly ClinicalTrials.gov, the ISRCTN registry, and the NIHR portfolio. This data is publicly available, and we cannot guarantee it is always fully accurate or up to date — always check details with the trial team.

We track thousands of UK clinical trials across many conditions, updated regularly from the registries above. Coverage varies by condition — some have many active trials, others have few or none at any given time.

TrialConnect's main focus is UK clinical trials. We're exploring other regions separately, but the matching tool and trial listings on this site are built around the UK trial landscape.

Our revenue comes from research sponsors and organisations who value reaching pre-qualified, consented patients — not from charging patients. Sponsor funding does not affect which trials you're matched to or how they're ranked.

Eligibility criteria are the rules a trial sets for who can take part — for example, age range, diagnosis, biomarkers, prior treatments, or general health. Every trial has its own criteria.

No. TrialConnect does not confirm eligibility, make clinical decisions, or provide medical advice. Our tool gives you an indication of fit; formal eligibility is always confirmed by the trial's own research team.

Trials exclude people for many reasons — for example current medications, other health conditions, previous treatments, or specific test results. This protects participant safety and keeps the trial's results reliable, and it isn't a judgement on you personally.

You can skip any question you're unsure about. The matching tool is designed to work with partial information — your score will simply reflect that some details are still unknown.

Yes. If a trial looks relevant, it's worth contacting the research team directly — they can talk through your situation in detail, which the matching tool cannot do.

Inclusion criteria are the requirements you must meet to join a trial (for example, a specific diagnosis or age range). Exclusion criteria are conditions that would rule you out (for example, another illness or medication that could interfere with the study).

Yes, for many conditions — particularly cancers — biomarker or genetic results (such as specific mutations) can significantly change which trials are relevant. If you know your results, entering them can improve the accuracy of your matches.

Some trials, particularly early-phase (Phase 1) studies, recruit healthy volunteers rather than patients. You can search for these directly; our condition-based matching tool is mainly built around patients with a specific diagnosis.

You'll see the trial's details, recruiting sites, and contact information. From there, you contact the trial team yourself — TrialConnect doesn't submit an application on your behalf or manage enrolment.

Yes, many UK clinical trials — particularly Phase 1 studies — offer compensation for your time and travel. Not all trials pay; it varies by study, and our Paid Studies page lists opportunities that do.

Compensation varies widely by study type and length. On our Paid Studies page, ranges shown go from around £50–£200 for a single visit or survey up to £3,000–£5,000+ for longer inpatient studies (typically 8–15 nights), most often Phase 1 drug trials.

UK paid studies are regulated by the MHRA and reviewed by an independent ethics committee, the same as any other clinical trial. You can leave a study at any time.

Eligibility depends on the specific study, but most healthy-volunteer paid studies accept adults aged roughly 18 to 75 who meet the study's health criteria. Some paid studies are aimed at patients with a specific condition rather than healthy volunteers.

No. Compensation amounts and terms are set by the trial sponsor, not TrialConnect, and are usually only paid if you complete some or all of the study visits. Always check the exact terms with the trial team before agreeing to take part.

No. Taking part in a clinical trial should never cost you money — legitimate trials do not charge participants. TrialConnect's own forms don't collect payment details.

We use several measures, including hidden "honeypot" fields, rate limiting per device and per form, duplicate-submission detection, and double opt-in email confirmation before any alert is sent — this helps filter out bots, given that fraudulent response rates across the paid-research industry are estimated to be as high as 50%.

Be cautious of adverts asking for upfront payment, bank details, or unusually large guaranteed sums. Cross-check any trial against the official registry (ClinicalTrials.gov or ISRCTN), and contact us at admin@trialconnect.co.uk if something on our site looks wrong.

We collect your email and name if you contact us, your health condition and matching questionnaire answers when you use the matching tool, and, where you consent, analytics about how you use the site. We do not collect NHS medical records, NHS numbers, or dates of birth.

Matching questionnaire answers are used to calculate your results and are not stored on our servers once your matching request is complete. If you save trials or sign up for alerts, that information is kept only for that purpose.

No. We do not sell identifiable patient data, and we will never sell your personal data.

Yes. We process personal data under UK GDPR, relying on your explicit consent — including separate explicit consent for special category health data. We're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration number ZC155240.

You can reach us about privacy or data protection questions at admin@trialconnect.co.uk. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

We use a small number of essential and analytics cookies, including a one-year session cookie. We don't use advertising cookies. You can review and change your cookie preferences from the link in the site footer.

Yes. You can ask us to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time by emailing admin@trialconnect.co.uk. We aim to respond to data requests within 30 days.

Our matching tool scores trials against your answers, but it does not make any decision about your care or eligibility — that's always confirmed by the trial team. You also have the right to request human review of any algorithmic matching decision.

You can contact us directly at admin@trialconnect.co.uk. If you're not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

A dedicated clinician portal is in development and not yet live. In the meantime, clinicians can browse trial listings on the main site in the same way as patients.

Planned features include biomarker-based filtering, trial design filters, patient pipeline management, NHS site matching, and FHIR-ready data integration.

There isn't yet a formal referral workflow. For now, clinicians and patients can use the site to identify potentially relevant trials, then contact the trial team directly.

NHS integration — including NHS Care Identity (CIS2) authentication and NHS Digital endpoints — is part of the roadmap for the clinician portal, alongside a DTAC assessment and a DCB 0129/0160 clinical safety case. None of this is live yet.

You can join the waitlist from the clinician page, or email admin@trialconnect.co.uk to register interest in early access.

Yes. You must be at least 18 years old to use the trial matching service. If you're looking for trials for a child, speak to their clinical care team or search ClinicalTrials.gov directly.

The core site is built around UK clinical trials. We're aware of interest in other regions and may expand there in future, but this isn't the current focus.

Email admin@trialconnect.co.uk, or use the contact form on our Contact page.

We aim to respond within one to two business days. Urgent patient safety concerns are prioritised.

Not every condition has an actively recruiting UK trial at any given time. You can sign up for email alerts so we notify you as soon as a relevant trial opens.

Yes, a family member can search and use the matching tool on someone else's behalf. Keep in mind the person using the tool must still be 18 or older, and any decision to join a trial is ultimately made by the patient (or their legal representative).

Yes, the site is designed to work on both desktop and mobile browsers.

Please let us know at admin@trialconnect.co.uk — we rely on public registry data, which can occasionally be outdated or incomplete, and we appreciate reports of anything that looks wrong.