Developing user involvement in research

User involvement is central to the UK government's modernization agenda for the National Health Service (NHS). This paper represents work undertaken for the NHS National Cancer Research and Development Programme and NHS Executive Trent. It includes reflection on the experience of user involvement in health care research drawing on current UK health policy documents and an examination of the factors affecting recruitment to breast cancer clinical trials, and contributes to the debate on recruitment to clinical trials. Reference to UK policy documents is made throughout as well as real life experience of involving users in research. It summarizes key issues that nurses and midwives must consider to ensure effective user participation in research and practice.