Study 1

Assessing the determinants of unequal outcomes of cardiovascular disease in Luton.

Study team:

Dr Sadat Edroos, Dr Britzer Paul Vincent(UoB), Dr Erica Cook(UoB), Prof Nasreen Ali(UoB)

Summary: Luton is a regional outlier for premature preventable cardiovascular mortality. Despite well-developed hospital cardiac care services during a cardiac event, aftercare following a heart attack, and preventative services, Luton’s incidence
of under 75 mortality from preventable circulatory diseases is 37.4±6.4 per 100,000; vs 25.4±0.7 in the East of England; and 30.1±0.3 in England. Luton is thus the worst unitary authority in East of England. Understanding this is the first step to formulating solutions.
The Luton population is multicultural, and is in the second lowest decile for deprivation across unitary authorities in England. Luton’s population has communities at perceived risk of marginalisation in navigating healthcare, though the specific challenges within our communities are unclear. Luton’s cardiovascular outcomes contrast with Bedford. Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is the major secondary care provider in both towns. Bedford’s inequality indices and cardiac outcomes are better, though the population is proportionally older with more comorbid disease. Trust data allows a detailed comparison to pinpoint the impact of deprivation, gender, age and comorbidity on cardiac mortality. Therefore, this study aims to assess characteristics and experiences of patients presenting with myocardial infarction to Bedfordshire Hospitals
NHS Trust, and link to cardiac outcomes.

Study 2

YMCA’s Hospital Navigator project

Study team:

Nia Haines, Tayler Tookey, Nicola Walker, Seana Friel(UoB), Emily Munro(UoB)

Summary: YMCA’s Hospital Navigator project has been running in Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) since May 2021. This project works with young people aged 11+ in the Emergency Department (ED) of MKUH who have been admitted as a result of violence, abuse or mental health challenges. Mentors use this reachable moment to build rapport and offering ongoing mentoring, signposting and information.

Study 3

Over 75s Project

Study team: Deepika Lawrence, Prof David Hewson (UoB), Cara Burgess (UoB)

Summary: Health checks for the Over 75s population were stopped during the pandemic (Rimmer, 2020) to free up primary care resources to meet the demands of the Covid-19 pandemic. The current GP contract states that a health check should be offered to those over 75 when requested (NHS England, 2023, p.41). Following enquiry from senior leadership within BLMK ICS, no evidence was found of any proactive screening amongst the Over 75s population within the BLMK area. This leads to a delay in diagnosis/intervention as they only present to primary or secondary care services when in crisis. A recent pilot study within one of the practices in the PCN, found that 40% of those screened had needs identified. For the proposed project of 750 patients, this would amount to about 300 of them potentially needing intervention.

• Talk, Listen, Change (TLC) engaging in a dialogue with the Luton Roma community on access to healthcare services and co-producing solutions.
• PhD-The built environment for improving physical activity levels among Luton’s diverse communities UoB/PGR match funded PhD LBC
• ‘Making it to the Registers Documenting Migrant Carers' Experiences of Registration and Fitness to Practise (funder AHRC) v17838.
• Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes Integrated Care System. Community Connector Action Research Evaluation.
• Re-thinking child obesity management in Luton: developing a new approach to the Total Wellbeing Tier 2 child weight management programme.
• National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme – PRP Project: NIHR204676 – Equitable bereavement care for all – an inclusive, qualitative study to improve bereavement service for those from ethnically diverse groups.
• Big Lottery Fund. Evaluation of early years alliance Luton – family workers.
• Luton Borough Council – Young Luton Voices: exploring the impact of covid19 on young people’s mental health and co-creating solutions.
• Early Years Alliance – PhD Studentship – Evaluation of Family Hubs
• Early Years Alliance – PhD Studentship – Evaluation of Starting Well Programme.
• Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust – PhD Studentship – Evaluation of the EXI app among patients living with obesity.
• Evaluation of Smart Start Programme in Luton. Funded by: Early Years Alliance Fund.
• A tailored intervention to reduce sitting behaviour in people with Type 2 Diabetes: A randomised-controlled feasibility study. Funded by: Diabetes UK
• Evaluation of Total Wellbeing Luton. Whole systems Integrated Care. Funded by: Turning Point
• Autologous Serum Treatment for Severe Dry Eye Disease. Funded by: National Institute for Health Research.
• Early Years Outcomes Fund Programme Luton. Funded by: Talking Takes Off and Department of Education.
• Geographical patterns of service and referrals for sleep apnea in the East of England: Funded by Papworth Hospital – European Commission
• Ageing carers for people with learning disabilities. Funded by: Open University.
• Evaluation of caring together multidisciplinary team meetings: complex and high intensity users. Funded by: Clinical Commissioning Group Bedfordshire.
• Holistic Integrated Care Model. Funded by: Live Well Luton, Clinical Commissioning Group Luton, Public Health Luton.
• Social Prescribing Programme Luton. Funded by: Luton Borough Council, Clinical Commissioning Group Luton, Public Health Luton
• A multi-methods pragmatic evaluation of individual and couple-based specialist bereavement counselling for improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for mothers and their partners who have experienced pregnancy loss. Cook, E., Powell, F.., Ali, N & UCL and KCL
• Development of a regional research alliance across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) to improve outcomes for parents impacted by pregnancy loss. Cook, E., Powell, F.
• The Integrated Care Programme of Stepping Down Care. Funded by the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
• Trainee Nursing Associates in the Southeast of England. Funded by the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
• The building of resilient communities via community and faith groups building in Buckinghamshire Funded by the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
• A co-production of an intervention package to improve the well-being of parents who experience early pregnancy loss. Cook, E., Powell, F.
• Early Years Alliance – PhD Studentship – Evaluation of Starting Well Programme.
• Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust – PhD Studentship – Evaluation of the EXI app among patients living with obesity.
• Supporting Nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students to raising concerns with the quality of care: a systematic literature review. Funded by: Council of Deans of Health.

Andrea Thompson (Funded by other source)

Title: Neurodiversity within healthcare higher education: what are the lived experiences of Neurodivergent Allied Health Professional learners undertaking clinical placement rotations in preparation for graduate employment?

Ashley McCormac (Funded by other source)

Title: Fatherhoods, masculinity and children with additional needs.

Christiana Joseph (Funded by other source)

Title: An investigation into the impact of colonisation within higher education on the lived experience of black international university students within the uk.

Jamie Whitehall (Funded by other source)

Title: Evaluating the implementation and outcomes of a Family Hub

Kirstie Sharpe (Funded by other source)

Title: Care in the Integrated Care System: understanding Integrated Care Systems as vehicles of Social Justice and the implications for future workforces

Fani Liapi (Funded by other source)

Title: An evaluation of Total Wellbeing Luton: an integrated health care pathway for physical and mental health

Bukhosi Sithole (Funded by other source)

Title: Effectiveness and implementation of mHealth physical activity interventions in relation to socioeconomic status and ethnic group

Mohammed Rahman (Funded by other source)

Title: How does masculinity influence men’s mental health

Digital Inclusivity: Adapting Care Integration Systems for Diverse Health Conditions and Populations

Study leads: Chris Papadopoulos, Joanna Almeida & Usha Panchal

Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the views of experts and stakeholders associated with differing healthcare conditions on the utility and value of the digital care integration system, including their views on barriers to utilization, and what they believe will enable the system to be transferable and ultimately effective in supporting differing healthcare conditions and populations

Barriers to deprescribing within the South Asian community in the UK

Study leads: Joanna Almeida &Tess Dawoud

Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the views of GPs, pharmacists and South Asian patients on the barriers to deprescribing associated with differing healthcare conditions and what they believe will enable them to stop taking or prescribing medicines

General Practitioners with an Extended Role in Ophthalmology: A survey of the career in the UK

Study leads: Nishani Jeyapalan, Pratik Bikkanavar, Yannis Pappas & Andrew Charley

Aim: Carry out a national survey to seeks information pertaining to the practice of, the scope within, and the routes to, a career as a GP with an extended role in ophthalmology (GPwERO).

Photography on the Wall: Enhancing Staff Wellbeing in the Hospital Setting

Study leads: Dr Nicolo Giudice and Dr Sheena McLaggan, Consultant Radiologist, and Dr Rachel Chater, Principal Clinical Psychologist, from the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Aim: One of the main objectives is to establish the extent to which staff well-being in the hospital setting can be transformed through photographic art.

Improving substance-misuse relapse among vulnerable young people

Study leads: Ashley McCormac and Kate Peake from the Family Support Link (FSL)

Aim: To initiate a piloting qualitative ‘follow up’ study with FSL service users who previously completed their drugs and/or alcohol misuse intervention programme, to examine the outcomes of the programme, feedback on it, and find ways to improve it.

Perceptions of Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Women with Breast Cancer

Study leads: Prof. Jonathan Gabe, Mr Kavi Sharma, Mr John Anderson and Dr Richard Simcock

Aim: The pilot study presented here aims to understand the perceptions of the use of CAM in women with breast cancer, by addressing four main research questions: (1) What CAM therapies do women with breast cancer use? (2) Why women with breast cancer have used CAM? (3) How women with breast cancer have used CAM? (4) What women with breast cancer have thought are the benefits of using CAM?

Rapid literature review on existing protective measures to support older people with care needs living in the community and their carers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Study leads: With collaborators Dr Min Tak and Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Luton Borough Council

Aim: The proposed research will contribute to developing and improving health and social care, social services and community-based interventions for older people and carers living in the community. We have written a Project Proposal on ‘The impact of free internet access on the health and wellbeing of older adults with care needs residing in socially deprived areas of Luton