Airwave Health Research Tissue Bank

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  333423

• Research summary

  Airwave Health Research Tissue Bank

• REC name

  North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/NW/0350

• Date of REC Opinion

  2 Jan 2024

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  Airwave has been collecting and storing blood, urine, and data from apparently healthy volunteers of UK police forces since 2004. Participants have agreed that any clinical data or data from laboratory analyses performed using their samples may be made available to other research and health care groups approved by the relevant research ethics committee. Most participants have given consent for long term storage of their blood and urine samples as well as future contact. Participants have given permission to access their past and future medical and other health-related records via the NHS. Arrangements for participant withdrawal are in place according to GPDR regulations. This is explained in the information leaflet, available before consent.
  Consent to participate in Airwave will apply throughout the lifetime of the research tissue bank unless the participant withdraws. Further consent will be sought for any proposed activities that do not fall within the existing consent. Airwave data is stored in Imperial College’s ISO/27001 certified secure environment – “Enclave” - a managed infrastructure and highly secure data processing environment. Airwave has shared pseudonymised research data with the Dementias Platform UK whose operating environment is similarly certified. Access to data and samples is controlled via the Access Committee.

• Research programme

  Airwave was established to investigate possible long-term health effects associated with use of the Airwave (TETRA) radio system by the UK police forces, as well as other exposures. The cohort is being used for a broad range of research into common diseases affecting a well-defined occupational group who are being followed up for many years. Most participants who took part in health screening gave broad consent for collection and storage of blood and urine samples for future research, and linkage to health and other records. We currently have c.53,000 participants, of whom c.46,000 have undergone health screening consisting of a questionnaire, cognitive tests, clinical measurements, and collection of biological samples. Participants are followed up through access to past and future medical, occupational, and other health-related records, and re-screening. Airwave gained Tissue Bank status in 2013 which facilitates programmes of research without need for individual project-based ethical approval. Participants who are presumed healthy at donation, can be selected based on their genotype and/or phenotype to be invited for observational studies or clinical trials. The Study's value is greatly enhanced by a follow-up health screening of participants. Researchers are able to detect developments or changes in the characteristics of the target population over time.

• Storage license

  12624

• RTBTitle

  Airwave Health Research Tissue Bank

• Establishment organisation

  Imperial College London

• Establishment organisation address

  Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health,

  Imperial College London, White City Campus

  86 Wood Ln, London

  W12 0BZ