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Events Coming up Date and time is TBD Social Care Lunchtime Seminar | Event postponed until a later date / Via Zoom Learn more Date and time is TBD Via Zoom Health inequalities of ethnic minorities groups in the UK Tue, Mar 24 ARC Wessex Alcohol Research Webinar / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Mar 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Thu, Mar 19 CRED Talk: Healthcare delegation and job satisfaction in home care / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Mar 19, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Mar 11 CRED Talk: In conversation, thoughts and reflections from early career social care researchers / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Mar 11, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Feb 11 ARC Wessex Healthy Communities Theme Meeting / Microsoft TEAMS Learn more Feb 11, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Microsoft TEAMS Join us to learn more about the Healthy Communities Theme projects and activities Mon, Nov 24 ARC Wessex Webinar: Living with Multiple Long Term Conditions / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Nov 24, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Nov 05 CRED Talk: The Characteristics of the Social Care Workforce in England and Australia / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Nov 05, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Mon, Nov 03 ARC Wessex Webinar: Young People in Research / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Nov 03, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Oct 22 ARC Wessex Healthy Communities Theme Meeting / Microsoft TEAMS Learn more Oct 22, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Microsoft TEAMS Join us to learn more about the Projects and work of the Healthy Communities Theme Thu, Oct 16 Understanding why, who and when people decline an offer of accommodation in Portsmouth and continue to rough sleep / Online Seminar Learn more Oct 16, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Online Seminar Understanding why, who and when people decline an offer of accommodation in Portsmouth and continue to rough sleep - A realist informed evaluation' Mon, Oct 13 ARC Wessex Webinar: Supporting the Workforce / Microsoft Teams Learn more Oct 13, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Tue, Oct 07 ARC Event 2025 / Southampton Learn more Oct 07, 2025, 9:15 AM – 2:30 PM Southampton Applied Research, Real Lives, Change that matters Mon, Oct 06 ARC Qualitative Network Meeting | “Autoethnography” presented by Dr Becki Nash / Online seminar MSTeams Learn more Oct 06, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Online seminar MSTeams Cycles of Consideration, Judgement, and Slippage: Autoethnographic Accounts of Researching Medical Cosmetic Procedures Wed, Sep 17 ARC Wessex Ageing & Dementia Theme Meeting / Microsoft TEAMS Learn more Sep 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Microsoft TEAMS Join us to learn more about the Projects and work of the Ageing & Dementia Theme Mon, Sep 15 ARC Wessex Webinar: Empowering People to use Digital Solutions / Microsoft Teams Learn more Sep 15, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Find out how our researchers are improving digital healthcare Thu, Sep 04 Supporting Health Professionals Research Development / The ARK Conference Centre Learn more Sep 04, 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM The ARK Conference Centre, Dinwoodie Dr, Basingstoke RG24 9NN, UK Wed, Jul 09 NIHR ARCs national webinar (#ARCseminar): Creative arts for dementia / Recording available below Details Jul 09, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Recording available below In this year's national #ARCseminar series, we explore the healing power of creative arts. Here, in the third webinar of the series, we will be hearing from researchers on: Creative arts for dementia care. Thu, Jul 03 Research Readiness in Homecare / Bournemouth Details Jul 03, 2025, 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM Bournemouth, 89 Holdenhurst Rd, Bournemouth BH8 8EB, UK This event will focus on identifying opportunities to enhance research engagement and strengthen collaborations to drive better outcomes for people living with dementia at home. Wed, Jun 25 Empowering Ageing through Digital Health Coaching / Bournemouth University Lansdown Campus Learn more Jun 25, 2025, 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM Bournemouth University Lansdown Campus, Gateway Building, BG302, 12 St Paul's Ln, Bournemouth BH8 8GP, UK Celebrating the success of the DIALOR (DIgitAL cOaching for fRailty) project (funded by NIHR ARC Wessex) Load More Previous events

Web-based Implementation Toolkit (WIT) Quick links: Project Outputs Buy-in and Engagement Fit with Health and Social Care Systems Alignment with Health and Social Care Priorities Outcomes and Impact Adoption and Spread Checklist, webinar and resources Quick links: Project Outputs This Web-based Implementation Toolkit (WIT) is designed to be easy to use and intended for a variety of users, projects and settings where implementation is planned or being considered. Implementation is the attempt to introduce a new intervention, innovation or policy developed through research and apply it to health and/or social care and the third sector. WIT provides you with an interactive Implementation Wheel, Checklist and bite-size Webinars (average 10 minutes) to support you through your implementation journey. Who is WIT for? WIT recognises the need to provide freely available, accessible and simple to use tools that focus on key implementation considerations at the outset of a project. WIT was co-produced through interactive workshops with health and social care professionals, third sector organisation professionals, academics and members of the public. Anyone looking to understand more about or engage in implementation. Why use WIT? When to use WIT From the beginning – when first considering and designing a project Throughout all stages of your implementation journey and beyond To guide you through implementation considerations for your project There are six wheel domains to help you consider what is required for implementation. Click on a domain segment to find out more. Adoption and Spread Project Outputs Buy-in and Engagement Fit with Health and Social Care Systems Alignment with Health and Social Care Priorities Outcomes and Impact How to use WIT Use the interactive Implementation Wheel, Checklist and bitesize Webinars to support you on your implementation journey and beyond. The six Wheel domains can be used iteratively, and in no particular order. The Checklist is downloadable and consists of the same domains as the Wheel. You can use this to complete with your team and check progress of your implementation journey. The Webinars , approximately 10 minutes duration, provide sessions relating to the six Wheel and Checklist domains and also to an introduction to implementation and implementation theories and frameworks. Hover on keywords to see definitions Other words in bold represent key learning points The Resources section provides suggestions for other resources you may find helpful. Feedback via our short survey If you fulfil the criteria on the attached poster , Researchers from the School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton/NIHR ARC Wessex would like you to test WIT by providing feedback via a short survey . Or alternatively scan the QR code. Thank you. Contact us If you have any questions about WIT, please contact: C.F.Brooks@soton.ac.uk Disclaimer The development of WIT has been supported by the NHS Insight Prioritisation Programme (NIPP). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this website. How to cite Brooks, C.F., Lund, S., Kryl, D., and Myall M. (2023) Web-based Implementation Toolkit (WIT). University of Southampton. Available at: www.arc-wx.nihr.ac.uk/web-implementation-toolkit Accessibility We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to as many people as possible. We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of the website.

dcda912e-45e2-47ca-a777-aad1c26161d1 ADOPTED PROJECT: Supported remote rehabilitation post Covid-19 COMPLETED: Development, deployment, and evaluation of a digitally enabled rehabilitation programme Chief Investigator: Professor Elizabeth Murray – University College London, Dr Henry Goodfellow – University College London Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care Project Team Members: Dr Katherine Bradbury – University Of Southampton, Dr Stuart Linke – Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Chris Robson – University College London, Professor Fiona Stevenson – University College London Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, Dr Manuel Gomes – University College London Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, Dr Fiona Hamilton – University College London Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, Professor Ann Blandford – University College London, Professor John Hurst – University College London, Professor Delmiro Fernandez- Reyes – University College London, Professor William Henley – University of Exeter Medical School, Dr Melissa Heightman – University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Paul Pfeffer – Barts Health NHS Trust, Dr William Ricketts – Barts Health NHS Trust, Ms Hannah Hylton – Barts Health NHS, Trust Dr Richa Singh – Barts Health NHS Trust, Ms Julia Bindman – Patient and Public Involvement contributor based in England. Publication: October 2025 - D esign and deployment of digital health interventions to reduce the risk of the digital divide and to inform development of the living with COVID recovery: a systematic scoping review Organisations Involved: Living With, NHS England, various NHS trusts, AHSN Wessex, UCL Partners. Start Date: 1st October 2020 End Date: 30th September 2023 Background: Covid-19 had affected nearly 300,000 patients in the UK by 6/7/20. Many remain symptomatic with breathlessness, fatigue, and anxiety for weeks or months. These symptoms can be improved with rehabilitation, but traditional, face-to-face models of service delivery will struggle to cope with these large numbersof patients. A digital approach is likely to be needed, but there are numerous challenges with this approach, including failures of implementation; anxieties around the digital divide/health inequalities; and concerns around low engagement with such programmes. Aim: To refine, deploy and evaluate a digitally- mediated, remote, supported rehabilitation programme for patients affected by Covid-19.Methods: We will combine research methods common to engineering and computer science (focused on developing a product that is safe, stable and meets user requirements) with those familiar to biomedical and health service researchers (focused on effectiveness and population impact). Thus, we will apply the Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework for development and evaluation of complex interventions (Phases 1, 2 and 4) Publications Experiences of user-centred design with agile development for clinically supported self-management of Long Covid Trajectories of functional limitations, health-related quality of life and societal costs in individuals with Long COVID: a population based longitudinal cohort study Additional funding The work from this project led to an additional Grant from NIHR SPCR Do community-based digital health inclusion programmes contribute to tackling health inequalities in disadvantaged population groups?

DEM-COMM programme Building Capacity in Dementia Research DEM-COMM has been a successful capacity-building scheme for post-doctoral researchers working in applied dementia research. The scheme launched on October 1st, 2022, with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Alzheimer’s Society, and will run until March 31st, 2026. The aim of DEM-COMMhas been to prepare a future cohort of researchers for the role of Chief Investigator in applied dementia research. This is an important and specialised role that carries with it the expectation that the lives of people living with (or at risk of) dementia will improve because of research. The scheme supported the development of more than 70 early to mid-career researchers working in one of the 15 Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) across England. Read the full report Supporting the future generation of Chief Investigators in Applied Dementia Research Independent report on Mapping Dementia Research Capacity - Mapping career development opportunities in applied dementia research Dementia Festival 2025 report DEM-COMM is led by Professor Ruth Bartlett with ARC Wessex as the host and coordinating centre. In 2026 we celebrated the end of the DEM-COMM programme at an event in Southampton - below are just some of the videos and images from that day Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur explains how important the work of the Dementia Fellows has been and how personal it is to her. Lisa Hammond from the Alzheimer's Society who part funded the Dem-Comm fellowships praises their impact on the lives of people with dementia and their carers and families. Watch the DEMCOMM showreel created to celebrate all the hard work and achievements of the NIHR Dementia Fellows DEM-COMM Research Fellows Dementia Post Doctoral Awards NIHR ARC East of England NIHR ARC East of England is using the funding to support post-doctoral career development awards combined with co-funding from our university partners (Cambridge, Hertfordshire, East Anglia, and Essex) to help promising researchers develop their skills and establish their own research projects, programmes and networks. DEM-COMM research fellows: 1. Dr Tamara Backhouse (UEA) - Optimising personal care assistance for people with advanced dementia 2. Dr Smruti Bulsari (Essex) – Researching in the area of dementia strategies. 3. Dr Julieta Camino (UEA) - Project TBC 4. Dr Megan Davies (UEA) How prehabilitation/rehabilitation can be implemented as a person-centred activity for people living in care homes, including those with dementia. 5. Dr Anna Dreyer - (Cambridge) – Social determinants in cognitive impairment and dementia 6. Dr Greg Windle - (Hertfordshire) - Investigating dementia-friendly community care in the East of England Read more (https://arc-eoe.nihr.ac.uk/news-insights/news-latest/arc-eoe-wins-funding-boost-dementia-research-careers) NIHR ARC East Midlands DEM-COMM research fellows: 1. Dr Neil Chadborn - (Nottingham) – Access to technology and needs of people from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. 2. Dr Esther Loseto-Gerritzen - (Nottingham) – Exploring the needs of people with young onset dementia in terms of care and technology. 3. Dr Orii McDermott - (Nottingham) – Addressing unmet needs of people living with young onset dementia. Read more (https://arc-em.nihr.ac.uk/research?national_arc_projects%5B%5D=64) NIHR ARC Greater Manchester DEM-COMM research fellows: 1. Dr Emma Elliott (Manchester): Deconditioning in hospitalised patients with dementia.(https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farc-gm.nihr.ac.uk%2Fprojects%2Fdeconditioning-in-hospitalised-patients-with-dementia&data=05%7C02%7Cjamie.stevenson%40soton.ac.uk%7C0378d44b042b48ba3ebf08dc44dc95fa%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0%7C0%7C638460961413724332%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OJfTB4q78bI%2F09qMxh0%2BkgFh%2FWGxqYoJtcBKB9xRNRY%3D&reserved=0) This involves a systematic review to examine evidence of physical activity interventions for hospitalised patients with dementia. The protocol is registered on PROSPERO here.(https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crd.york.ac.uk%2Fprospero%2Fdisplay_record.php%3FRecordID%3D482947&data=05%7C02%7Cjamie.stevenson%40soton.ac.uk%7C0378d44b042b48ba3ebf08dc44dc95fa%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0%7C0%7C638460961413736714%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bs0nnjf4zRgWCJgUe30cwP50sMk3YVUJWCsrC4yAK8w%3D&reserved=0) 2. Dr Sarah Fox - (Manchester) - Everyday aesthetics and the intersection of arts and health: Everyday aesthetics and the intersection of arts and health: Involves the use of a participatory approach to develop, deliver and evaluate a tailored, multi-arts social intervention with people with dementia living at home. Read more (https://arc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/projects/Meaningful-moments-of-connection) 3. Dr Jaheeda Gangannagaripalli - (Manchester) - Keep On Keep Up (KOKU)(https://kokuhealth.com/) (https://kokuhealth.com/)Digital technologies for falls preventions for people with dementia: The digital exercise programme is being modified for people with dementia. This fellowship will build on this to develop an intervention modification and feasibility RCT. Read more(https://arc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/projects/Development_and_evaluation_of_a_digital_health_programme_for_falls_prevention) 4. Dr Sarah Smith (Manchester): Assessing the effects of physical activity interventions on the maintenance of cognitive function in midlife to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.(https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farc-gm.nihr.ac.uk%2Fprojects%2Fphysical-activity-and-dementia&data=05%7C02%7Cjamie.stevenson%40soton.ac.uk%7C0378d44b042b48ba3ebf08dc44dc95fa%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0%7C0%7C638460961413744004%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0uvcZmJNEOZzkQsx4dCgIp3q8T2Ba%2FdLTKHFhgDbmeM%3D&reserved=0) The results of this systematic review will be explored with Public and Community Involvement and Engagement (PCIE) representatives and relevant stakeholders. Assessment of the need for a feasibility study will then follow. The protocol can be found on PROSPERO here.(https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.crd.york.ac.uk%2Fprospero%2Fdisplay_record.php%3FRecordID%3D492462&data=05%7C02%7Cjamie.stevenson%40soton.ac.uk%7C0378d44b042b48ba3ebf08dc44dc95fa%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0%7C0%7C638460961413751734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sMqBh4%2B2w8iNhvErJkUBKe5cwlh30Wj5JxasUBor3iY%3D&reserved=0) NIHR ARC Kent, Surrey and Sussex DEM-COMM research fellows: 1. Dr Alessandro Bosco - (Brighton and Sussex) – Project TBC 2. Dr Georgia Bell - (Brighton and Sussex) - Loneliness and dementia 3. Dr Barbora Silarova - (Kent) - Supporting wellbeing, quality of life and access to services for those with dementia living alone or in hard-to-reach areas and their unpaid carers 4. Dr Rasa Mikelyte - (Kent) - Integration of services for seamless dementia care Sarah Polack - (Brighton and Sussex) - Supporting well-being for people with dementia in deprived coastal communities/rural populations Read more(https://arc-kss.nihr.ac.uk/news/arc-kss-welcomes-nihr-funding-for-dementia-researchers) NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) new dementia-focussed post-doctoral fellowships focus on: • Care and support in socially disadvantaged communities. • Care for dementia and multiple long-term conditions. • Social care to maintain independence and dignity. • The role of technology in dementia care will cut across the work programme. DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr James Faraday - (Newcastle) - Mealtime care for people living with dementia in care homes. 2. Dr Steven Lyons (Newcastle) Investigating how music provides opportunities for residents in care homes to live healthy lives, build relationships and maintain independence and dignity. 3. Dr Marie Poole - (Newcastle) - Two core areas: 1. the role of new Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in the provision of dementia care for people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds; Dr Connor Richardson - (Newcastle) - An investigation into the effects of anti-inflammatory medication have on risk of in life dementia and pathology in a population representative cohort age 65 years and over using the CFAS population 4. 2. The role of sporting clubs as emerging providers of dementia support to engage with people from socially disadvantaged communities. 5. Dr Tamlyn Watermeyer - (Northumbria University) - Involving people with Learning Disabilities in dementia research & care through technological solutions. NIHR ARC North Thames DEM-COMM Research Fellows: • Alex Tsui - (UCL) - Acute care of people living with dementia • Esther Hui - (UCL) - Risk factors for dementia prevention • 1. Dr Kumud Kantilal (UCL) Project TBC NIHR ARC Northwest London The ARC researchers will work collaboratively on three projects: · Development, piloting, and evaluation of community-based case-finding and support for individuals with cognitive impairment or dementia, delivered by Community Health and Wellbeing Workers (CHWWs); · CHARIOT PRO, a prospective longitudinal, biomarker and data – enriched study of cognitively healthy individuals, aiming to evaluate key biological mechanisms and identify risk in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD); and · eFINGER PRINT a population-based study for ADRD prevention, and includes piloting of innovative e-based assessments and interventions for self-led lifestyle change. DEM-COMM Research Fellows:(https://arc-nwl.nihr.ac.uk/research/multimorbidity-and-mental-health/arc-dementia-capacity-building-programme/meet-our-dementia-fellows) 1. Dr Roxanna Korologou-Linden (Imperial) - Project TBC. 2. Dr Sujin Kang - (Imperial) Dr Roxanna Korologou-Linden (Imperial) Cognitive Health in Ageing Register: Investigational, Observational, and Trial Studies in Dementia Research (CHARIOT): Prospective Readiness cOhort Study(PRO). Dr Pallavi Nair - (Imperial) - identification and support of individuals with dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the community setting by community health and wellbeing workers (CHWWs). See ARC NWL site (https://arc-nwl.nihr.ac.uk/research/multimorbidity-and-mental-health/arc-dementia-capacity-building-programme) NIHR ARC North West Coast The NIHR ARC North West Coast projects are underpinned by a focus on health inequalities in dementia, building on the strength of our ARC and its ongoing dementia portfolio, including at the Liverpool Dementia & Ageing Research Forum, which will act as a key outlet for disseminating the research nationally and internationally. DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr Sandra Ismail (Liverpool) - Religiosity and spirituality in risks of cognitive frailty and dementia 2. Dr Laura Prato - (Liverpool) - Dementia care navigators 3. Dr Megan Polden - (Liverpool) - Examining the impacts of singing support services for people living with dementia and their carers on well-being, quality of life, social isolation, and loneliness. 4. Dr Megan Readman - (Liverpool) - Parkinson’s disease dementia and link with hearing loss NIHR ARC Oxford and Thames Valley NIHR ARC Oxford and Thames Valley researchers are active in the development of applied health and social care research across all stages of the NHS Well Pathway for Dementia: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, community support, and palliative care. Areas include: • Detailed phenotyping at pre-diagnosis and diagnosis (preventing well, diagnosing well) • Mapping diagnostic trajectories and longer-term support needs (supporting well, living well, dying well) • Reducing inequalities in dementia prevention and access to health and social care services (all NHS Well Pathway stages) DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr Ting Cai - (Oxford) - Exploring preventive medications for dementia: big-data based pharmacoepidemiological research 2. Dr Padraig Dixon - (Oxford) - Understanding the cost-effectiveness of drug therapies (particularly repurposed drug therapies) to prevent and treat conditions. 3. Dr Jiamin Du - (Oxford) - Early diagnosis of dementia and real-world data. 4. Joseph Kwon - (Oxford) - Whole-disease economic modelling of dementia prevention and care 5. Dr Caroline Potter - (Oxford) - Exploring the availability and effectiveness of community-based support for enabling people to maintain health and wellbeing following initial diagnosis of dementia or its precursor (MCI). 6. Dr Subhashisa Swain - (Oxford) - Biological ageing in dementia and multimorbidity trajectories and clusters. NIHR ARC South London NIHR ARC South London is building research capacity in palliative and social care for people living with dementia through two interventions: • Co-designing a validated tool with family carers, to support care, decision-making and access to services. The Integrated Person-centred Outcome Scale in dementia (IPOS-Dem) tool includes assessment of symptoms, emotional, spiritual and information needs and will be integrated with telehealth. • Developing interventions to support care homes in better meeting residents’ spiritual needs, particularly those living with dementia from minority cultural or faith backgrounds. The research will be informed by perspectives of care home staff, residents living with dementia, and their family and friends to increase understanding of the beliefs and spiritual needs of residents living with dementia. Guidance and policies will be developed to help care home staff support spiritual care. DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr Annabel Farnood - (KCL) - Empowering better end of life dementia care for family carers of people with dementia’ (EMBED-Care4FamilyCarers) 2. Dr Olivia Luijnenburg - (KCL) - Spirituality in residential care for people living with dementia: implementing reflective tools for care workers of people living with dementia. (SpiritDem for short) 3. Dr Lesley Williamson - (KCL) - Using routine data to understand and improve health and social care for people with dementia near the end of life NIHR ARC Wessex The NIHR ARC Wessex Ageing and Dementia theme focusses on independent living with and for older people with complex health and social care needs. DEM-COMM Research Fellows: • Dr Nuno Tavares (https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/our-people/our-staff/nuno-tavares)- (Portsmouth) - Exploring the self-management process of other long-term conditions in people living with Dementia • Dr Catherine Murphy (https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5xcpx6/doctor-cathy-murphy)- (Southampton) - Dementia and continence management: Supporting homecare workers • Dr Gladys Yinusa (https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/our-people/gladys-yinusa)- (Bournemouth) - TOMATO: nuTritiOn and deMentia AT hOme - Watch Gladys explain (https://vimeo.com/915909027?share=copy)- download TOMATO resources(https://app.geckoform.com/public/#/modern/21FO00fkt1c33000g4kgx5fihm) • Dr Pippa Collins (https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/podcast-profile-dr-pippa-collins/) (Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust) - An ethnographic exploration into the work of caring for paid homecare workers NIHR ARC West DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr Katie Breheny - (Bristol) - To improve use of preference-based outcome measures in the economic evaluation of interventions for people with dementia 2. Dr Elisabeth (Lis) Grey - (Bristol) - Evaluation of a Parkinson's Treatment Hub and development of dementia interventions and evaluation tools to support people from diverse communities 3. Dr Natasha Woodstoke - (UWE) - Supporting families to adjust to a diagnosis of dementia: Adapting the LivDem intervention NIHR ARC West Midlands The ARC funding, provided by NIHR in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society, is supporting a cohort of post-doctoral health and care researchers toward independence, developing their skills to establish their own research projects, programmes and ultimately groups. NIHR ARC West Midlands DEM-COMM Research Fellows are: 1. Dr Paul Campbell - (Keele) - Social Care Practice 2. Dr Sue Molesworth - (Keele) - Dementia’s place within the developing ICS/ICB landscape/multidisciplinary approaches 3. Dr Chris Poyner - (Birmingham) - People living with Dementia and informal carer/family experience within a social care context. NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber is examining how potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia intersect with ethnicity and sociodemographic factors (University of Bradford), and a quantitative investigation of the policy impact of interventions to target dementia risk factors across ethnic groups and by deprivation using cohort study and routinely available, linked health and care datasets. in addition a Alzheimer’s Society postdoctoral research fellow is focusing on prevention of dementia, taking into account wider sociodemographic factors. DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr Amirah Akhtar - (Bradford) - Promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce dementia risk factors in minority ethnic communities. 2. Dr Lin Gong – (Leeds) Dementia prevention and health inequalities among different ethnical groups. 3. Dr Emmanuel Nwofe (Bradford) Dementia prevention and health inequalities among different ethnical groups. NIHR ARC South West Peninsula ARC South West Peninsula have awarded fellowships to 4 early-career researchers, giving them the experience and training to help them to develop into future leaders in dementia research. DEM-COMM Research Fellows: 1. Dr Catherine Alexander - (Exeter) - IDEAL project 2. Dr Iliana Lourida - (Exeter) - TBC 3. Dr Tomasina Oh - (Plymouth) - TBC 4. Dr Hannah Wheat - (Plymouth) - D-PACT; ENLIVEN Projects Read more here(https://arc-swp.nihr.ac.uk/news/fellowships-dementia-research/)

Long Term Conditions Long Term Conditions Theme The Long Term Conditions (LTC) Theme, led by Professor Mari Carmen Portillo with Deputy Lead Dr Dorit Kunkel, delivered a broad programme of research and implementation designed to improve the lives of people living with long‑term conditions and multiple long‑term conditions. The theme’s work spanned deprescribing, medicines optimisation, treatment burden, physical activity, service improvement, co‑production, and person‑centred care. A major area of impact is medication deprescribing and optimisation. The MODIFY project has significantly enhanced safety and quality of life for frail older adults by adopting a structured, multidisciplinary approach to medication reviews. It supports clinicians through training, tools, and collaborative working models, and is now embedded within wider system initiatives such as the Wessex Health Innovation Network’s Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets . Public engagement activities—including creative outputs like a deprescribing song—have helped raise awareness and encouraged culture change in medicines optimisation. Further medicines‑related research has identified ongoing risks related to inappropriate prescribing of anti-inflammatory painkillers for older adults and those with conditions such as kidney or heart disease. A GP‑focused risk‑identification tool was developed to address this. Another study highlighted that many people on disease‑modifying drugs undergo high‑frequency monitoring despite long‑term normal results, suggesting opportunities to reduce unnecessary burden and NHS workload. The Treatment Burden Study , involving more than 800 Dorset adults, showed that high burden is common and often driven by lifestyle challenges, appointment access, financial pressure, and complex medication regimens. Its follow‑on project, SPELL, produced short, practical measures for clinical use. The findings also informed improvements for Care Coordinators in Southampton, enabling them to better identify and support individuals struggling with their conditions while reducing demand on GP time. The theme optimised community‑based support systems, developing a Link Worker framework for social prescribing and piloting the LifeBoost app to guide people with LTCs to personalised resources. The European Optim Park project expanded access to Parkinson’s support via the REPISALUD directory, now used internationally. Policy influence is another key outcome. Research on COVID‑19, physical activity, and mental health has shaped recommendations adopted by bodies including Sweden's Health Technology Assessment Agency and the European Commission. Findings from Optim Park have informed NICE guideline NG252. Additional impacts include shaping national and international understanding of Huntington’s disease care needs, advancing person‑centred assessment tools such as the Living with Long Term Conditions Scale, and contributing to workforce development through the Wessex Academy of Skills in Personalised Care , which has trained more than 1,500 professionals. Finally, work on physical activity maintenance has expanded understanding of the barriers and enablers affecting digital health engagement among NHS staff, strengthening regional partnerships. Research projects ARC Wessex programme of research on Medicines Optimisation (MODIFY SPiDeR STOP-DEM) Read more ADOPTED: Personalised social and self-management support for better living with multiple long-term conditions in the community (CO-ACTION) Read more Social Prescribing Link Workers framework: supporting complex needs of adults living with physical and mental health long term conditions Read more Evaluating impact of personalised care at service at service and system levels: Learning from the Wessex Academy for Skills in Personalised Care (WASP) programme. Read more Understanding barriers and enablers of using the Living with Long Term Conditions scale as part of routine care for people from under-served groups living with type 2 diabetes Read more PARTNERS II: Testing implementation and evaluation of a digital tool for multisectoral support and management of people living with Parkinson’s disease and/or arthritis. Read more Avoiding care escalations through targeted care coordination for people with multiple long-term conditions – a knowledge mobilisation project Read more Deprescribing and Optimisation of Medicines IN Older people with Heart Failure and Frailty (DOMINO-HFF) Read more Change in treatment burden among people with multimorbidity: Protocol of a follow up survey and development of efficient measurement tools for primary care Read more ADOPTED: Treatment burden in people below the age of 65 with multimorbidity in primary care: A mixed methods (SPELL) Read more ADOPTED: (SIFT) Sensors in Fatigue Tracking in Parkinson’s. Exploring the relationship between perception of Fatigue and the performance of physical activities in people with Parkinson's with fatigue using wearable sensors Read more Reframing responsibility through public empowerment: examining environmental cues influencing poor diet Read more Non-digital support for maintaining physical activity in people with long-term conditions – within Maintenance Of physical acTivity beHaviour (MOTH) programme Read more Digital support for maintaining physical activity in people with long-term conditions Read more Development of policy recommendations to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity and mental health in individuals with multimorbidity: a mixed method study. Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Understanding risk stratification of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in primary care Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Development of a decision aid for offloading device selection for people with diabetic foot ulceratio Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Breast Cancer Choices: Evaluation and implementation of a digital patient-centred decision aid to support genetic testing in mainstream care. Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Multidisciplinary Ecosystem to study Lifecourse Determinants and Prevention of Early-onset Burdensome Multimorbidity (MELD-B) Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: MELD Read more POST DOCTORAL PROJECT: Understanding, addressing, and meeting the complex needs of people living with long term physical and mental health conditions: a qualitative study Read more Testing the living with chronic illness scale Read more Medicines optimisation Read more Interventions to support physical activity for adults (MOTH) Read more MODIFY: The development and iMplementation Of a multidisciplinary medication review and Deprescribing Intervention among Frail older people in primarY care Read more PARTNERS Project: Development and implementation of a digital tool for multisectoral support and management of long-term condition Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: EnablExercise in Crohns: A qualitativE study to uNderstAnd the Barriers and faciLitators to physical activity and Exercise IN children and adolescents with CROHN’S disease Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: ExACT-CF: Exercise as an Airway Clearance Technique in people with Cystic Fibrosis – A randomised pilot trial Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Happier Feet Read more OPTIM Park - Optimization of community resources and systems of support to enhance the process of living with Parkinson’s Disease: a multisectoral intervention Read more Improving support for self-management (WASP) Read more Mental health hub projects Understanding, addressing, and meeting the complex needs of people living with long term physical and mental health conditions: a qualitative study Read more Role of patient-assessed functioning as a predictor of health service use in patients with long term mental health conditions Read more Read our publications here Read more Publications Collaborative project: Improving review appointments for people with long-term conditions

Dr Preeti Dhuria (University of Southampton) and Professor Christina Vogel (The Centre for Food Policy, City St George’s, University of London) discuss how weak enforcement lets retailers bypass UK obesity regulations < Back Chocolate at the checkout Weak enforcement of obesity regulations is undermining public health Dr Preeti Dhuria (University of Southampton) and Professor Christina Vogel (The Centre for Food Policy, City St George’s, University of London) discuss how weak enforcement lets retailers bypass UK obesity regulations It’s far too easy to choose unhealthy options in retail stores in the UK. This isn’t just a personal challenge for citizens, it’s a public health crisis. The places we shop shape our food choices and quite frankly, the odds are stacked against us in selecting healthy food. There is a growing momentum for strong policies to rein in the aggressive promotion of unhealthy foods, and that’s a positive step. In fact, the UK government introduced a ban on placing unhealthy foods at checkouts, aisle-ends and store entrances in 2022. But you wouldn’t necessarily know it as a shopper. Our research shows there is a significant lack of resources for adequate enforcement. This situation means we still see chocolate at checkouts in some stores and alcohol at the aisle-ends in others because stores are either breaking the rules or using loopholes to continue making money at the expense of the country’s health. Regulating the food retail environment is an important part of the solution to lower levels of obesity but weak enforcement can undermine health goals. The Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations 2021 are designed to limit the promotion of unhealthy foods in most retail stores and online equivalents in England. When 22 local government officers were asked about their approach to enforcement before the regulations came into effect, the clear narrative was that these regulations would not be robustly enforced because of a lack of staff and training. Our research showed the key obstacles to enforcing these regulations include: Staffing Constraints : There is limited capacity within local authority enforcement teams to enforce these regulations. Their scarce resources are used for immediate threats to life like knife crime rather than assessing breaches, issuing notices and processing fines for these anti-obesity regulations. Inadequate financial support: Funding constraints further hinder enforcement because only £281k in funding has been allocated across the 317 local authorities in England to support these enforcement tasks, leading to inconsistencies across regions. Minimal training: Enforcement officers are likely to rely on personal judgment and experience due to limited training and guidance on how to interpret the definitions in the regulations, leading to significant variations in the interpretation and enforcement of the rules across regions. Despite the regulations’ long-term health goals, it is clear that they are ranked as a low priority and the process of issuing infringement notices is cumbersome. This situation is leading to patchy enforcement, and businesses not being held accountable uniformly. The processes for reporting breaches are also unclear meaning even action by the public is usually difficult. A freedom of information request covering a three-month period showed that no improvement notices had been issued despite instances of non-compliance being observed. A Call for Stronger Enforcement Our research outlines actions at the national and local levels that could help to improve the level of enforcement being undertaken. National-level actions Provide adequate and dedicated funding to local authorities to recruit and allocate staff specifically for compliance assessment of these regulations. Provide centralised training and detailed guidelines for enforcement officers to ensure consistency and build confidence among enforcement teams. Streamline compliance assessments by requiring manufacturers to disclose nutrient profile scores for their products and retailers to provide key details, such as store square footage and employee count, to their local authorities. Local-level actions Instigate linkages within local authorities by supporting cross departmental activity between trading standards, environmental health and public health officers to make enforcement efficient. Raise regulations’ priority by incorporating into joint strategic needs assessment within local authorities to increase buy-ins from councillors and Directors of Public Health. Lack of enforcement compromises impact Investing in enforcement is essential to securing regulation compliance and achieving the level playing field that food businesses and public health advocates called for. Early enforcement ensures that businesses fully understand their obligations, comply with the rules, and help build a precedent for healthier retail environments. Proactive enforcement sends a clear message- the regulations are here to stay, and compliance is non-negotiable. But local authorities cannot achieve strong compliance without adequate funding and the right tools. A lack of enforcement risks being misinterpreted as a sign of regulatory failure and withdrawal of the regulations. This outcome would be detrimental to the health of British children and families. Here are a few instances recently where our research team have spotted non-compliance but do not know how to effectively report the instances, and even approaching the store manager has not led to an immediate removal of products from restricted areas. To truly make an impact, future food policies must incorporate robust enforcement strategies and dedicated funding from the outset to maximise the regulations’ impact and safeguard public health. Previous Next

bc679d13-74ba-4311-9808-713cccad3190 ADOPTED PROJECT: DIGNIFIE Gender-seNsitive evaluatIon oF a prIson alternativE DIGNIFIE: Gender-seNsitive evaluatIon oF a prIson alternativE - (intervention is known as Hope Street) Chief Investigator: Dr Emma Plugge – University of Southampton Project Team Members: Ms Donna Gipson – Empowering People: Inspiring Change, Ms Paula Harriott – Prison Reform Trust, Dr Kathy Kendall – University of Southampton, Professor Julie Parkes – University of Southampton, Dr Sara Morgan – University of Southampton Professor James Raftery – University of Southampton, Dr Lucy Wainwright Revolving Doors, Dr Naomi Gadian – University of Southampton, Dr James Hall – University of Southampton Organisations Involved One Small Thing, Prison Reform Trust, Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Services, Vivid Housing, Crown and Magistrates Courts, Southampton City Council, Adult Services, Southampton, Children Services, Southampton, Housing and Community Inclusion, Change Grow Live (CGL) Southampton, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Society of St James Background: This evaluation seeks to determine whether women’s health and wellbeing, social and criminal justice outcomes are improved when they are placed in a community based residential facility (Hope Street) rather than being imprisoned. The Ministry of Justice’s 2018 Female Offender Strategy sets out plans to improve outcomes for women in the community and custody. It aspires to ensure that fewer women are imprisoned and recommends the move to community management of women in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS), including residential women’s centres with places for women to bring their children. It is in this context that Hope Street, the community alternative to imprisonment, has been developed in Southampton. Women in contact with the CJS are some of the most disadvantaged people in society. One third of them will have been in care as children, two thirds live with ongoing domestic abuse and most will have experienced poverty. They have lower basic skills attainment than the general population, are more likely to be unemployed and to be in insecure housing. Their health is considerably poorer than that of women in the community; for example, the standardised mortality ratio for suicide is 20 times higher in imprisoned women than in the general population. This mixed methods study comprises qualitative research, a prospective cohort study and health economic evaluation. It started in 2021 and will be completed in 2027.

Growing social care research capacity Professor Lee-Ann Fenge Social Care lead Social care touches every family in Britain, yet there is a paucity of social care research and historically limited access to the research infrastructure that shapes NHS and social care practice. The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex Social Care Programme was created to change this. Our overarching aim was to build the skills, confidence and partnerships that allow social-care staff, carers and local organisations to use research to improve people’s lives. Working with local authorities, voluntary groups and unpaid carers across Wessex, the programme supports the DHSC vision for a fairer, more integrated system that helps people to live well at home for longer. Research champions funded within three local authorities (BCP, Dorset and Portsmouth City Council) and with voluntary sector organisations including MYTIME , and Help and Care have supported a culture of research engagement across the workforce in these organisations, including through facilitation of journal clubs, joint publications with academics and involvement in research projects. Adults Services within BCP Council have now adopted the research champion model across all of their adults teams as part of their workforce development strategy. Driving Improvement in Services and Local Policy The programme’s practical studies have directly improved service; from staff training on inclusive communication to the redesign of community engagement and recruitment practices. Co-produced publications in leading social-work journals and presentations to professional conferences are spreading these lessons nationally. We have also contributed to national ARC Social Care events to share learning. Building Skills and Confidence in the Workforce - More than 40 social care professionals have received structured research training through internships, fellowships and the new REAL (Research, Evaluation, Audit and Literature) Course co-designed with Hampshire County Council, and participants are already leading improvement projects - evaluating recruitment practices, developing databases of community activities and strengthening induction and mentoring for new staff. Feedback shows greater confidence, better use of evidence in daily decision-making and stronger retention through professional pride. Joint projects between universities and councils have changed how services are planned and delivered for example: Day Services for Adults with Learning Disabilities research informed Hampshire County Council’s strategic plan. In Portsmouth the Single-Handed Care Review enabled efficiency savings while maintaining safety and quality. Research Champions and a Researcher in Residence worked with voluntary organisations including Help and Care and MYTIME to explore the needs of unpaid carers, including young carers and those supporting a loved one waiting for a dementia diagnosis known as the Waiting Well Project which included an exhibition at Poole Arts Centre in January -February 2026 highlighting the challenges carers face. Our research projects SOCIAL CARE: Building Bridges: Elevating Research Culture in Social Care through Collaboration, Qualitative Insight and Relationship-Driven Impact Read more ADOPTED: FLOWS Planning for Frailty: Optimal Health and Social Care Workforce Organisation Using Demand-led Simulation Modelling Read more SOCIAL CARE: Evaluation of Southampton City Council’s Male Engagement Worker (MEW) Project Read more SOCIAL CARE: Building capacity in social care through co-produced research and a research learning partnership between University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth City Council Read more SOCIAL CARE: Local Authority Adult Social Care Recruitment and Retention research project (BCP/Dorset) Read more Dorset projecr

a3233a2e-82c9-4634-a984-44c5ddb93cad ADOPTED PROJECT: MELD Developing a Multidisciplinary Ecosystem to study Lifecourse Determinants of Complex Mid-life Multimorbidity using Artificial Intelligence (MELD) Chief Investigator: Dr Simon Fraser – University of Southampton Project Team Members: Dr Nisreen Alwan – Associate Professor in Public Health, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Professor Michael Boniface – Director of the University of Southampton IT Innovation Centre and Web Science Institute, Professor Ben MacArthur – Mathematical Sciences University of Southampton, Professor Rebecca Hoyle – Mathematical Sciences University of Southampton, Dr Sarah Crozier – Associate Professor of Statistical Epidemiology, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Mr William Ware – Patient and Public Involvement Contributor, Mr James McMahon – Patient and Public Involvement Contributor, Dr Emilia Holland – Public Health Specialty Registrar, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Dr Zlatko Zlatev – Senior Enterprise Fellow, Electronics & Computer Science, University of Southampton Background: As with many countries we are facing challenges related to the growing number of people living with multiple long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease or dementia. All the way through peoples’ lives many things influence the chances of developing such conditions. This includes some things that are hard to research - broader issues throughout life such as the environment people grew up in, their education, work, and so on. Sadly, people from more socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to develop multiple conditions at an earlier age. There is also evidence that the order of developing conditions varies considerably and influences what then happens to people. This makes understanding these broader issues and how they affect that order vital to inform when and how we should intervene to prevent conditions developing. To achieve this, we need to study large numbers of people over their whole lifetime, but such datasets do not exist. Very large health datasets collected from NHS GPs are helpful but haven’t been running long enough to track from birth to later life. They include lots of information on long term conditions but not much about broader issues. In our Development Award (called ‘MELD’) we had access to one such dataset of about 700,000 people, which we used to identify health conditions. We also accessed data from the ‘1970 British Cohort Study’ – a long-running research study called a ‘birth cohort’ Publication: Early-onset burdensome multimorbidity: an exploratory analysis of sentinel conditions, condition accrual sequence and duration of three long-term conditions using the 1970 British Cohort Study https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/10/e059587.full

c21aafd4-fa4e-48e5-85b7-6fda5c6ab3a5 POST DOCTORAL PROJECT: The career aspirations of nurses working in the research delivery workforce: a cross-sectional survey Chief Investigator: Dr Miriam Avery – University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Organisations Involved: University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Background: We know that nurse-led research in health and social care is crucial to enable nurses to deliver high quality care based on the best available evidence. Nurse-led research is being generated within higher education institutions and a small number of NHS roles, but nurses remain an under-represented group in health services research. There is a clear capacity problem for nurse-led research. Within the NHS, the largest group of nurses working in research are in research delivery roles. This section of the nursing workforce has experience, skills, and competencies in delivering research within a health and social care environment from start to finish. All these skills are of prime importance when designing and leading a research study. However, as there is little published data on the career aspirations of this group of nurses, the extent to which they have the desire to progress an independent researcher career and build capacity for nurse- led research is unknown. The aim of the study is to undertake an online survey of nurses working in research delivery roles in local acute NHS Trusts to determine the career aspirations of this group of nurses. The study is at a very early stage, with the research proposal and protocol in the process of being developed. We expect the set-up and recruitment phase to be completed by the autumn of 2022. The planned online survey includes questions around the current activities of nurses in research delivery roles, as well as training, skills, competencies, and career aspirations. The findings from the survey will provide much needed data about the aspirations of this group of nurses, which will determine the next phase of this research project. If there is aspiration for independent research amongst a section of this workforce, then there is an urgent need to facilitate progression along this career path. Summary of Findings We found that…. • Respondents: 298 Nurses, midwives and AHP’s in the research delivery workforce completed the survey (43% response rate) about ‘research leader’ career aspirations. •Nearly a quarter ‘aspired’ to be a research leader; around a half ‘might aspire’. •Of those aspiring, most (70%) found it difficult or very difficult. Only around a third were confident of achieving ‘research leader’ within 5 years. • Publications: only 21% had been a named author on a peer-reviewed publication • Funding: Most (81%) had no idea or were uncertain as to where to apply for funding •The factors that most respondents identified would help them achieve this goal were: clearer career paths into research leader roles , more guidance and support in making career choices and more mentorship opportunities . • Conclusion: there appears to be a large number expressing some potential aspiration for leading research within the nurse/midwife/AHP research delivery workforce – is this untapped potential? What did we do with this knowledge? - The knowledge from this study has relevance to academics and the clinical research delivery workforce. - Local communication: Presentation of the findings at University Hospital Southampton Research & Development Quarterly Forum meeting. The audience was mainly Research Delivery staff and management. - International conference: Abstract and poster at the RCN International Research Conference in Manchester (6th-8th September 2023). - Direct NIHR presentation: The findings of the survey were presented to Professor Ruth Endacott (NIHR Director of Nursing & Midwifery). What is next? We are planning 2 publications and an update to NIHR.

7a002421-31aa-4897-bd4d-da37a8b4cf6a Avoiding care escalations through targeted care coordination for people with multiple long-term conditions – a knowledge mobilisation project Chief Investigator: Simon Fraser, Professor of Public Health, University of Southampton Team: Nisreen Alwan, Professor of Public Health, University of Southampton, Lead for the Healthy Communities theme (from 1st Oct 2024), NIHR ARC Wessex. Robin Poole, Consultant in Public Health, Southampton City Council. Michael Boniface, Professorial Fellow of Information Technology, Director of the IT Innovation Centre, University of Southampton, and lead for the Workforce and Health Systems theme, NIHR ARC Wessex. Kelly Cheung, PPI lead, NIHR ARC Wessex and University Hospitals Southampton. Emilia Holland, Public Health Registrar, University of Southampton. Seb Stannard, Research Fellow, MELD-B project, University of Southampton. Claire Sheikh, Senior Pharmacist, Living Well Partnership, Southampton. Kelly Hislop Lennie, Principal Academic in Adult Nursing, Bournemouth University. Lynn Laidlaw, Patient and public contributor and researcher, PPI contributor MELD-B Sally Dace, PPI contributor MELD-B and Wessex ARC James McMahon, PPI contributor MELD-B, School of Primary Care Research UoS, South West Genomic Medicine Service. Lead PPIE for DIALOR, a digital intervention addressing frailty in Bournemouth University Partners: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bournemouth University, Southampton City Council, Living Well Partnership. Start: 1 October 2024 End: 31 March 2026 Summary This project is about taking knowledge that has been learned from two ongoing research studies about living with multiple long-term health conditions to see if we can apply it in a ‘real life’ setting in a large general practice in Southampton. Two research projects called ‘MELD-B’ and ‘the ARC Treatment Burden study’ have identified many aspects that make living with multiple long-term conditions challenging for people. This ‘workload’ might make it more likely that people feel overwhelmed by their health conditions. If people have a high workload, and particularly if they are frail, this can end up with them needing to be admitted to hospital. We have also identified that some aspects of people’s early life can make it more likely that they are admitted to hospital in middle age. If such challenges are recognised in advance and appropriate help provided, such unplanned admissions might be avoided. Care coordinators are people working in NHS settings, including GP surgeries, to identify and support people at risk of such admissions. They have a lot of people on their books and it can be challenging to know who needs what help, and who needs it most urgently. We want to see if the things we have learned from our previous research study can help the care coordinator make these decisions. In this short project we plan to do this in a large practice in Southampton, the Living Well Partnership, which looks after about 45,000 people. We plan to: · collate all the aspects identified in these studies that might make people more vulnerable · make sure we understand the current way care coordinators identify and engage with patients · work with all the relevant people in the practice to make sure we take people on this journey with us · undertake some workshops, co-led by PPI contributors, to co-develop the strategy for adding new aspects (such as the ‘workload’ and early life aspects mentioned above) to current approaches · test the addition of adding these in Living Well Partnership and evaluate the process We will share our findings at an event involving as many of the team from the Living Well Partnership as we can and get their feedback. This event will also include other relevant interested parties, such as those from the Integrated Care Board. PPI contributors have been deeply involved in the work of MELD-B, have helped to shape this proposal and will continue as co-investigators. They will be reimbursed for their contributions according to NIHR guidance. Read the public policy briefing

b369496b-453f-489e-9d44-7a954ac3f6d7 Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways (STIMULATE) This project is part of a national consortium Contact: Professor Nisreen Alwan MBE , University of Southampton There is evidence that access to Long Covid (Post Covid-19 Syndrome) NHS Care and related care pathways, the nature of those pathways, and patient experience, varies. Research is required to inform diagnosis, care, public health strategies, policy planning, resource allocation and budgeting. It is likewise essential to define the usual care pathway in Post Covid services, and to understand patient presentation, and the effectiveness and cost of care. The STIMULATE-ICP consortium includes: University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, University College London, University of Central Lancashire, LongCovidSOS, UK Doctors #Longcovid , Royal College of General Practitioners, University of Liverpool, Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Perspectum, Living With, University of Hull, Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust, University of York, University of Leicester, University of Exeter, University of Southampton, University of Sussex, Alliance Medical, GE Healthcare, Olink, Francis Crick Institute, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North Thames, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast, British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre, BHF Data Science Centre, Health Data Research UK, Office of National Statistics, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust, as well as NIHR Clinical Research Network support. Plain English Summary of the health inequalities work within STIMUALTE-ICP: 23 interviews were completed with people with probable Long Covid We found… There was a lack of awareness of Long Covid, its symptoms and the support available for people with Long Covid An assumed lack of awareness of Long Covid within healthcare People with Long Covid symptoms experienced doubt and uncertainty about the cause of their symptoms Experiences of stigma and discrimination were commonly experienced by people with probable Long Covid. This included experiences of age and gender discrimination, experiences of being dismissed, unsympathetic attitudes and social exclusion. People with probable Long Covid reported feeling embarrassment, feeling tainted and/or different to others because of their Long Covid symptoms. In addition, they expected disbelief and/or judgement from others because of Long Covid People with Long Covid were sometimes reluctant to seek care due to worries surrounding possible investigations and medications, or worries about symptoms being wholly attributed to mental health conditions. There were also concerns about burdening the NHS. The nature of Long Covid symptoms made accessing care difficult. Long Covid symptoms can often come and go or fluctuate, and sometimes one symptom may be more prominent than others. This can mean some symptoms can be overlooked by patients and healthcare professionals. Experiences of people with Long Covid are also constitute epistemic injustice, or inequality surrounding creating, interpreting and conveying knowledge. This is due to the lack of awareness and knowledge of Long Covid both in the community and within healthcare. The findings are published here https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hex.14037 Our recommendations: What we did Research findings from this study and the NIHR funded HICOVE study have been translated into an easily-usable webtool. This tool aims to encourage people with probable Long Covid who have not yet sought help and support from the NHS or other services to do so. It covers topics of self-doubt, stigma and effects on mental health as well as offering resources, tips, and advice on next steps. This tool is primarily aimed at people who may have Long Covid but are not currently accessing care but may also be helpful to those who are. It is also aimed at healthcare professionals, social prescribers, as well as community organisations to raise awareness about the difficulties and stigma people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, may face when considering reaching out for a consultation or community support. The webtool is available here: Supporting Long Covid Care ( long-covid-care.org.uk ) Where next? We are working on disseminating the Supporting Long Covid Care webtool as widely as possible and evaluating so that we improve it further. See our news article