Building Capacity / Research & Development

Briefing note on Public Health Research Consortium

In 2003 the Department of Health announced a major new public health R&D initiative, for which up to £3.5million was made available over five years. This is referred to in the Choosing Health White Paper [p.189, Annex B, paragraph 11]: “Early in 2005, we will launch a public health research consortium, bringing together national policy makers and researchers from a wide range of disciplines relevant to public health, to focus effort on strengthening the evidence for effective health interventions to support White Paper delivery”.

Three consortia of universities and other partners were shortlisted and asked to make presentations to a Department of Health-chaired panel on 14th January 2005. The successful consortium was led by Professor Hilary Graham from Lancaster University, and YHPHO is one of the key partners in this consortium.

The full range of consortium partners is outlined below:

Organisation Individuals involved
Lancaster University Hilary Graham [Institute for Health Research]
University of Edinburgh Stephen Platt, Candace Currie [Research Unit in Health, Behaviour & Change; Child & Adolescent Health Research Unit]
University of Glasgow Seeromanie Harding, Mark Petticrew, Sally MacIntyre [MRC Social & Public Health Sciences Unit]
Institute of Child Health Catherine Law, Chris Power [Centre for Policy Research, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health]
University of Liverpool Margaret Whitehead [Department of Public Health]
NatCen Bob Erens [National Centre for Social Research]
National Children’s Bureau Ruth Sinclair
University of Newcastle Ashley Adamson, Martin White [Human Nutrition Research Group; Public Health Research Group]
University of Stirling Gerard Hastings, Martine Stead [Institute of Social Marketing]
University of York Amanda Sowden, Nigel Rice, Ian Watt [Centre for Reviews & Dissemination; Centre for Health Economics; Department of Health Sciences]
YHPHO Brian Ferguson

Clearly this is a multi-disciplinary team with skills in methodological and applied research, and individuals / organisations that understand and have experience in dissemination and translating research into practice. Each of the shortlisted consortia will have had a particular focus / ‘selling point’ – ours lies in the social science focus of the people and organisations involved.

The precise work programme for the PHRC will be the subject of detailed negotiations over the next few weeks, and early research priorities will be heavily influenced by the content of the White Paper Delivery Plan. The consortium bids had to focus on three central work streams: health inequalities, risk and health (with an initial focus on young people); incentives and regulation.

The final bid document is huge, and sets out proposed projects (short, medium and long term) in each of these three broad themes. The research undertaken will be a combination of methodological development for multi-disciplinary public health, and applied research that is relevant to identified priority areas. The PHRC will be expected to produce ‘generic learning’ wherever possible: the concept of translational research will be an important one. The PHRC will also be expected to assist with ‘horizon scanning’ activities and “contributing to secure the policy-related knowledge base for the future”.

In practice there is likely to be a strong link to new NICE, since a central aim of the PHRC is to develop a body of knowledge about what works in public health and which interventions are the most cost-effective.

Communication of the PHRC’s work and its intended activities is a fundamental element of the programme, and it is here that YHPHO and the Centre for Reviews & Dissemination have a key role to play. YHPHO and CRD developed a joint approach to dissemination for the proposal. We have highlighted the important role of Regional Public Health Teams in opening up / accessing relevant networks through which targeted dissemination activities can take place. In addition, YHPHO will act as a focal point for dissemination through the (interoperable) websites of all PHOs.

There will be more specific projects agreed in due course. At this stage the winning consortium is simply the ‘preferred contractor’, but this represents an exciting development for YHPHO and the University of York. The links to a regional health intelligence strategy are obvious, but need to be thought through to make the best use of this success in Yorkshire & Humber region.

Professor Brian Ferguson
Director, YHPHO

last updated 01/02/08