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 July 2021

ARC NWC Newsletter July 2021

A message from ARC NWC Director, Professor Mark Gabbay


Thank you for taking the time to read our latest Newsletter. Lots to update you on as we move into the summer months.

I'm delighted to let you know we have been successful as partners in several large funding awards which will tap into our staff expertise and knowledge.

Firstly, we will be leading the health inequalities element of a new £6.8m study into long-COVID and I'm delighted to say our member University of Central Lancashire will be a key player in the trial's delivery. 

Secondly, congratulations to Professor Sarah Rodgers and her Care and Health Informatics (CHI) team, as they will be instrumental in a new £7m consortium assembled to investigate the impact that nature can have in helping to prevent and reduce health inequalities in urban areas.

These investments demonstrate the value ARCs can bring to large research projects and those who regularly attend our ARCFESTs will have been tracking the interest we have had in these studies, so it is fantastic to see them come to fruition.

Since our last ARCFEST we have sent out a shortlist of proposed projects for prioritisation to our wider membership. It's worth clarifying that while proposed research ideas are shortlisted at ARCFEST sessions and voted on anonymously, it is after the ARCFEST that the entire membership vote on prioritising these ideas for resource allocation and to express if they are also interested in collaboration, even if they have already done so at a theme meeting. This is a crucial step in determining how we allocate ARC resources. 

A quick analysis of some data we have reported to NIHR for the first 6 months of ARC NWC from Oct-2019 to March 2020 inclusive. We checked our achievements as a proportion of all those collated into the combined report of all 15 ARCS. This demonstrated that we were responsible for 24% of the total external grant income, and  contributed 15% of the total publications (vs 6.7% we would expect as one of 15 ARCs), so we are demonstrating strong performance and high activity. In addition, we have appointed more PhDs appointed than planned and are on target for fulfilment of internships.

We still have work to do in the area of member engagement and have unfortunately had to cancel the hybrid (face-to-face/virtual) ARCFEST on the 28th of September due to concern about rising infection rates . It will now be a virtual event with details for access provided next month. 

I would like to point you in the direction of some CLAHRC NWC legacy materials. In our previous life as CLAHRC NWC we did some excellent work across communities and the work has been summarised in a new online resource, made by the Lancaster University team. It would be useful for community activists and those of our members working in communities: neighbourhoodresilience.uk  

In case you wondering about the wider impact of the CLAHRCs' legacy nationally, a new publication this month has summarised up their work wonderfully. This is a national document highlighting the contribution of CLAHRCS, which contains two projects from CLAHRC NWC. 
 
Lots to be positive and enthusiastic about.

Thank you for your continued support.



Professor Mark Gabbay
Director, ARC NWC 
ARC NWC Involvement in Long-COVID Research
 
A major new consortium led by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH)  and supported by ARC North West coast, has recently been awarded £6.8 million by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) to conduct the largest clinical study of long COVID over the next two years.

Developed with the help of patient organisations, STIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways) will test the efficacy of existing drugs to treat Long- COVID, and measure the different effects of three months’ treatment on patients with regards to their symptoms, mental health and other outcomes such as returning to work.

It will also assess the use of MRI scans to help diagnose potential organ damage in those recovering from the coronavirus, as well as enhanced rehabilitation - the provision of joined-up specialist care centred around an app for patients allowing them to track their symptoms.

The Clinical Trials Unit delivering the trial is within one of ARC NWC member Universities, the University of Central Lancashire. Professor Mark Gabbay, ARC NWC Director, will also lead one of the three work packages in STIMULATE-ICP, focusing on health inequalities and long-covid.

"We look forward to working with colleagues across the STIMULATE-ICP study on providing this experience and knowledge from within ARC NWC", said Mark. 
 

 
Mixed Methods Movie
 
As part of a series of films being produced at ARC Kent Surrey and Sussex, check out their latest production that features Dr Julie Macinnes from Centre for Health Service Studies,  sharing her tips for mixed methods research: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6XXjKqkqj8
 
 
Health Services Research UK conference
Well done to ARC NWC staff and public advisers who presented at this key UK Conference this month.  Read their blog.

Leading Public and community Involvement – the space between expectations and reality: the session featured presentations and breakout rooms with examples of good public involvement featured. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbnd2eSYiiY
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New resource for those working with communities
 
A team at Lancaster University linked to the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration North-West Coast (NIHR ARC NWC) has created an online resource for public sector professionals and community activists working locally to reduce health inequalities. The resource neighbourhoodresilience.uk translates lessons from the Neighbourhood Resilience Programme (NRP).

It was implemented in nine neighbourhoods in North West England between 2016 and 2019 by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) North West Coast that preceded the ARC NWC.

Professor Jennie Popay who led the team said: “This approach aims to enhance the collective capacities of everybody living and working in a neighbourhood, and the organisations operating there, to deliver co-ordinated action to improve the root causes of health inequalities.”

Professor Mark Gabbay director of the NIHR ARC NWC said: “This was an innovative and landmark programme that we at NIHR CLAHRC and now NIHR ARC NWC are truly proud of. It demonstrates true in-depth public involvement and community empowerment to reduce inequalities and improve health and wellbeing.” Case studies of nine neighbourhoods offer insight into the opportunities and challenges encountered and the impacts that can be achieved. The website includes an interactive tool designed to share learning from this programme.

There is also information on the Community Research and Engagement Network (COREN), a key element of the programme that sought to forge more equal relationships between system players, as well as a range of other resources.

Case studies

Each of the nine hyper-local neighbourhoods demonstrated impacts on local causes of health inequalities that the programme was attempting to change for the better. The case studies demonstrate how social connectedness was increased in Blackburn with Darwen, Haslingden and Ellesmere Port; how action was planned to improve housing issues and the challenges encountered in Blackpool; and how local voices across the system in Moss Bay and Salterbeck in Cumbria improved employment prospects. In Preston, Ellesmere Port, Knowsley, Blackburn with Darwen and Liverpool environments were improved through action on alleyways, community gardens, routes to schools and air quality. People working together across the neighbourhood system contributed to the local economy by enhancing the role of the High Street in Liverpool and improving knowledge of avoiding and dealing with debt and managing personal finances in Sefton. Finally, co-creating stories that enabled people to recognise their shared interests and beliefs contributed to effective collective action for change in Cumbria, Knowsley and Haslingden.
North West Cancer Research Translational Research Award open for applications 


This call is for translational research seeking to find a cure, or improved treatments and tests for cancer – advancing the work already done at a fundamental stage in order to move this towards patient application. We define this using the derived term “from bench to bedside”.
 
Translational research is the process whereby ideas and discoveries from emerging research projects are translated into products of therapeutic value for human patient benefit. Where discoveries in “basic science” improve our understanding of a disease, the aim of translational research is to move basic science into practice and to improve human health through the development of drugs, therapies, techniques and medical devices.
 
Applications may consider:
  • Innovation in therapeutic discovery and development
  • Addressing an unmet need in cancer healthcare, or offer a new solution to a problem
  • Translation of fundamental discoveries into improvements in cancer outcomes
  • Translate basic science discoveries quickly and effectively into cancer practice eg. product, technology or intervention
  • Developing a product, technology or intervention which can be moved towards application in a patient setting
 
Applications for this funding round are open to researchers across the United Kingdom. In making their applications, researchers should consider the relevance of their application to the people of the North West of England and North Wales. This could mean overall incidence or that the particular cancer type is more common or associated with poor outcomes within the region.
 
Applicants may be from academic, healthcare, social care or other sectors. We encourage collaborations between institutions and NHS organisations and encourage collaborative applications within our regional footprint.
 
The Translational Research call accepts grant proposals of up to three years, with funding of up to £275,000. Researchers should be mindful of the current resources available to NWCR. All applications will be equally considered, regardless of whether funding is requested at the higher or lower end of the funding budget.
 
All applications will undergo rigorous external peer and scientific review. Panel members will be made available to view once confirmed.
 
This funding round will close at 5pm on 11th October 2021.
 
For more information, please visit https://nwcr.org/research-funding/translationalresearch/ or contact alicia@nwcr.org.

 
ARCs funded for research into National Priority Area of Healthy Ageing, Dementia, and Frailty


The NIHR has approved research plans for a consortium of Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) led by NIHR ARC Wessex with NIHR ARC Greater Manchester, NIHR ARC Yorkshire & Humber and NIHR ARC South West Peninsula.

The research programme is focused on the health challenges facing our growing older population. The programme will support three multi-regional projects that are as much about staying well as finding better ways to care for and treat people in later life. 
 
This consortium of ARCs will work across the NIHR ARC network in England as part of the NIHR National Priority Area research programme. The work is funded by an award of £1.8 million until September 2023.
 
Professor Helen Roberts, from NIHR ARC Wessex leads the consortium of ARCs behind the research:

“This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver research that will make a real difference to older people and their families. The research teams leading the three projects have spent many years collecting evidence to show that their interventions work. Now we can see how best to use these interventions in a range of real-life situations across different parts of the country” 

The three projects are:
 
FLEXI: Falls management exercise programme led by NIHR ARC East Midlands working with NIHR ARC Greater Manchester and NIHR ARC South West Peninsula
 
WHELD: Training care home staff to improve well-being and mental health of dementia residents led by NIHR ARC South West Peninsula and working with NIHR ARC South London, NIHR ARC East Midlands, NIHR ARC East of England, NIHR ARC North East North Cumbria, NIHR ARC North West Coast and NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber
 
FinCH Implementation study: Falls prevention in care homes led by NIHR ARC East Midlands working with NIHR ARC North East North Cumbria, NIHR ARC West Midlands and NIHR ARC South London.
 
New £7m consortium funded to boost research on urban spaces and tackling health inequalities

ARC NWC will be a partner in a new consortium to investigate the impact that nature can have in helping to prevent and reduce health inequalities in urban areas.

The Consortium, ‘GroundsWell: Community-engaged and Data-informed Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health’ is co-led by Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Liverpool.

The new £7.1 million project is funded by the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) to investigate the impact that nature can have in helping to prevent and reduce health inequalities in urban areas.

Focusing on Belfast, Edinburgh and Liverpool, with a view to inform a UK-wide and global approach, the Consortium will explore how transforming cities with nature can reduce health inequalities, primarily around chronic and non-infectious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health.

Over the five-year project, the interdisciplinary team will develop innovative approaches to work with communities where there are high levels of health inequalities. They will work with communities as key partners to develop and implement ways to improve health inequalities and prevent a range of chronic illnesses through harnessing the positive impact of nature.  

Professor Sarah Rodgers, from the University of Liverpool/Theme Lead for ARC NWC Care and Health Informatics Theme, is one of three GroundsWell co-directors. She said: “Working with local authorities and charities, we will record how our environments change through time. Knowing when parks were adapted to encourage new visitors and how this subsequently impacts health outcomes will help provide robust evidence on what works and for whom.

“Everyone should have access to the right environments to support their health and wellbeing.”
 
New UK-wide Implementation plan 
 
The UK government has launched its cross-sector UK-wide implementation plan for the future of UK clinical research delivery, working with the devolved administrations, NIHR, the NHS, regulators, medical research charities and the life sciences industry. 
 
Publication of the plan, which is backed by £64 million in government funding, follows on from the publication of the vision ‘Saving and Improving Lives: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery’ in March. 
 
The NIHR has played an important role in the development of the plan and is responsible for ensuring the delivery of many of the areas of action.
 
NIHR's involvement in the plan resonates with a number of the areas of strategic focus in Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter, particularly in increasing the diversity and reach of opportunities to be involved in research, and expanding our work with the life sciences industry to improve health and economic prosperity.
 
The plan sets out the steps that are being taken over the next year to begin to achieve the vision for clinical research delivery. 
 
Key NIHR commitments in the plan include: 
  • Reducing the variation and time spent negotiating costs for commercial research through the National Contract Value Review, ensuring an aligned process for contracting of research across the whole UK.
  • Ensuring development of digital solutions that link research approvals portals with delivery management systems where linked systems are not already in place, removing red tape and making it easier to keep track of study progress.
  • Providing recognition for key groups of staff across the NHS who play a key role in delivering research, including through a new accreditation scheme for Clinical Research Practitioners.
  • Further bolstering the five Patient Recruitment Centres, making it easier and more efficient to deliver late-stage commercial research – making the UK more attractive and allowing more people to participate in research that is of relevance to them.
NIHR will also be considering what more it can do to support this plan and continue to drive improvements in clinical research delivery over the coming years. 
 
Read the Policy paper - The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021 to 2022 implementation plan
 
 

Air Quality event now online

A video of last month’s event Improving Air Quality and Health in the North West Coast event is available to view on our YouTube channel.

Highlights include presentations from public advisers, ARC West and Professor Ben Barr’s team on the impact on hospital admissions of air quality measures

youtu.be/GsJ-inH1Rm4

In addition a new BITE has been launched titled:

Impact of local air quality management policies on emergency hospitalisations for respiratory conditions in the North West Coast region of England: a longitudinal controlled ecological study

https://arc-nwc.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Local-air-quality-BITE.pdf
Dementia & Ageing Forum


The recording from the July Forum event is now on youtube. Dr Bram de Boer gave an insight into implementing government guidance in Dutch care homes, and how this had an impact on safe visitation during the pandemic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZgyfo9jsg

 

Sign up for the September webinar

At the next webinar on the 22nd of September, 1-2 pm, Dr Catherine Talbot from Bournemouth University will be sharing and discussing her research into "Digital technology usage in dementia during the pandemic". Please feel free to share widely, as always, we will have plenty of time for discussion afterwards:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/liverpool-dementia-ageing-research-forum-september-2021-tickets-163215294339

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Blogs and opinion

ARC NWC Seldom Heard Voices Forum: Youth at Risk

Blog author: Selina Wallis, ARC NWC Public Involvement Manager.

For our second ARC NWC Seldom Heard Forum, we focused on Young People at Risk.

Young people can be at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation. The underlying causes of children’s vulnerability to exploitation, such as poverty and inequality and, lack of support services for children in need and their families need to be addressed.

Criminal exploitation of children is an increasing concern in the UK. Children of all ages are at risk, and the number of 10 to 17-year olds arrested for intent to supply drugs has gone up by almost 50% outside London. Children are easily criminalised, and are usually not then viewed as victims of exploitation. There is also a lack of data and reporting about children at risk of criminal exploitation.

In the North West more than a third of children are growing up in poverty after housing costs are factored in, child poverty levels have risen in almost every local area in the North West from 2016 to 2020. Spending on youth services in England and Wales has been cut by 74% in real terms in less than a decade. Outside of London, Merseyside is the biggest exporter of county lines (transportation of drugs between areas). Children are also a risk of getting involved in violence and knife crime. Children in families at risk may frequently go missing (often a marker for exploitation) and children may be taken into local authority care. The covid-19 pandemic has increased many of the risks to children without reducing the causes.

This important forum was convened to look at some of the services working in this area in the North West. There were approximately 50 attendees from across the region and sector. 

Read the full blog here

Watch the Forum here
 
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Events and opportunities
Online Evaluation Course

Applications for the ARC North Thames 'Introduction to Evaluation' online course are now open for our September/October cohort. This is the flagship course in our Academy's training calendar, aiming to support health and care professionals who need to evaluate local programmes, services or interventions. It covers key guidance from the planning stages through to sharing findings.
 
This free course is suitable for staff from NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, CCGs and social care organisations. Participants should attend the course with an evaluation in mind that they may have to carry out, but no previous knowledge of evaluation is required.
 
 
The course will run from 6th September – 19th October 2021 and can be done flexibly over this period (on average it requires a total of 12 hours across eight weeks). The deadline to apply is 8th August 2021. 

Find out more and apply.
 
 
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