UK Biobank
A large population biomedical collection is in the process of being established in the UK. UK Biobank will be funded by The Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Department of Health. It is planned to recruit 500,000 people aged 45-69 via general practices from across the UK. Piloting will start in 2004, and recruitment proper will begin in 2005.
People aged 45-69 registered with GP practices participating in UK Biobank will receive a letter from their GP inviting them to be part of UK Biobank. Those who consent will complete a questionnaire and attend an interview with a research nurse. The nurse will also perform a physical examination and obtain blood for biochemical investigations. As part of this baseline data collection, information will be collected on cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other metabolic diseases, respiratory illnesses and infections, mental health and neurological diseases, cancers and musculo-skeletal disorders. The initial follow-up period will be 10 years via NHS central registers and through general practices, hospitalisation records and other NHS sources. It is planned to resurvey participants approximately five years after recruitment to update information about lifestyle and to verify morbidity data.
The University of Sheffield is a partner organisation within the Fosse Way Regional Collaborating Centre. Recruitment for the Fosse Way Cohort will be led by the University of Leicester. The other collaborating Universities are Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, the Peninsular Medical School (Universities of Exeter and Plymouth) and Warwick University. The RCC is named after the Fosse Way Roman road that runs approximately along a line joining up the various collaborating Universities.
The Fosse Way RCC is the largest of the various RCCs that have been established. The others are Scotland, Wales, Oxford, London, Manchester/Wessex).
More information on UK Biobank is available from the UK Biobank website.
The University of Sheffield, in conjunction with University of Nottingham and the Genetic Interest Group conducted a consultation on UK Biobank with GPs on behalf of the MRC and Wellcome Trust in October 2000. Report of this consultation is available as a quick link.
The Genetics and Ethics team have also conducted a public consultation on UK Biobank. The consultation was conducted as part of a research project examining different methodologies for consulting with the public. This methodological research was funded by the Wellcome trust.
Comparison of methodologies for consulting with the public about UK Biobank
Public attitudes to participating in UK Biobank
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