THE GRRAND-F study has opened to recruitment today (09 January 2020) at the Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
GRRAND-F is a feasibility study to see whether a rehabilitation programme (including physiotherapy sessions, advice for managing pain and coping with fatigue and other common side-effects) is acceptable for patients who have been discharged from hospital following head and neck cancer surgery.
This study will be recruiting 60 participants from 4 NHS sites across England. Following surgery participants will be randomised to receive either standard care including in-patient physiotherapy and an advice leaflet detailing basic exercise and self-care following surgery advice or to also receive up to 6 physiotherapy appoints over a 6 month period.
The study will be investigating the acceptability of the study intervention to patients invited to join the study, study compliance, completion of study paperwork, continuation of the rehabilitation programme at home and the need for further treatment following the initial surgery. A number of participants and physiotherapists delivering the study will also be interviewed to explore any changes required to further improve the programme.
Results from the study will help inform whether a large multi-centre definitive randomised controlled trial should be undertaken.