Please read the step-by-step guide below and follow the steps in order.

Step-by-step guide

    1. Complete the consent form and online survey (this will launch in a new window and the link to this can be found at the end of the page).

You will first be asked to provide your consent to taking part in this nationwide study, followed by a short survey. This will take you approximately 10 minutes and must be completed in one sitting, so please do not attempt to go back or refresh the page. 

As part of this, you will be required to enter your unique ID we supplied on the initial postal letter – if you do not have this to hand, please find it now before continuing (or alternatively you can call the helpline and we will be able to assist you).

You will be asked to provide a valid home address (in England) for us to send out the kits, along with an email address for the thank you £50 Love2shop voucher. 

We will then direct you to a link, hosted by UKHSA, to enter your NHS number. This will be used to check your GP records for details of any antibiotics you have been prescribed that could lead to different antibiotic resistant microbes in the nose and gut. It is not compulsory to provide your NHS number and will not affect whether you receive the £50 Love2shop voucher.

    2. Once you have completed the consent form and 10-minute survey, we will send you 3 sample devices (a stool (poo) sample pot; a nasal (nose) and throat swab; and a rectal swab) through the post for you to use and send back to our labs (using a freepost envelope).

We ask that you return your samples within 5 days of receiving your kit, and within 12 hours of taking your samples. Please note that in order to ensure tracked delivery, we ask that you either return your samples via The Post Office or through a post box (ensuring the freepost returns label is affixed). If you are unable to visit The Post Office or post box, or you do not wish to take part, you do not have to do anything – if you do not respond to our initial invitation, we will not contact you again regarding your participation in the study. 

    3. Once valid samples have been received (i.e., we have received enough sample from you to be able to test), we’ll send you a £50 Love2Shop voucher as a thank for you taking part.

If you wish to opt out of the study after having consented and taken part, please either return your signed withdrawal of consent form via post to the address specified on the form, or via email to TARGETantibiotics@ukhsa.gov.uk. You will need to provide your UID to do this.

This will ensure that all your survey responses are removed from the analysis. 

Please click below to continue to the consent form and online survey.