1. Filling the evidence gaps in local government
Dr Helen Walter, Consultant Advisor, NIHR
Tara Lamont – Deputy Director, NIHR Dissemination Centre
FPH Annual Conference – 20th June 2017

2. Session overview Public Health Research in NIHR
The Dissemination Centre
Table top discussions on research in local government
Summing Up

3. Good research will provide the ammunition
to the front line

4. What is the NIHR? Funded by Dept. of Health
to benefit health
to benefit the UK economy
Funds health and care research
Applys research to practice
Develops the research capacity of the UK

5. Public Health research in NIHR
Public Health Research Programme
£10m per year on non-NHS research
School of Public Health Research
8 universities collaborating to research PH practice
Other funding programmes

6. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway increased active travel.
Density of alcohol outlets is linked to alcohol consumption, hospital admissions and violence.
Turning off street lights early does not lead to more accidents or crime.

7. Good research needs you…
Decision Makers workshop
– 5th Oct 2017, London
Become a member of our Prioritisation Board
Send us your ideas for research

8. Tara Lamont – Deputy Director, NIHR Dissemination Centre

9. NIHR Dissemination Centre
Our aim is to put good research evidence at the heart of decision making in the NHS, public health and social care.

10. What we produce
Signals
Highlights
Themed Reviews

11. NIHR Signals Accessible, actionable summaries explaining:
The main message of the study
Why the study was needed
What the study did
What the study found
What the current guidance says on the issue
What the implications are
Features:
Expert commentary
Published abstract
Definitions (where needed)
Opportunity to comment

12. Public health content includes:

13. Primary audience - midwives Partnership with RCM
NIHR Themed Reviews
Primary audience - midwives
Partnership with RCM
46 published NIHR studies – from smoking cessation trials to doulas in deprived areas
>2000 downloads
46 published studies, 28 ongoing
Smoking cessation, evidence on healthy eating and weight loss on mother and baby outcomes – plus environment, complex social needs (doula in deprived areas to incentives)

14. Building an influential community

15. Get involved Join our mailing list & receive regular Signals
Register as a rater
Read our outputs
Follow us on Twitter
@NIHR_DC

16. Table-top discussions

17. Table Questions (1)
Think of a piece of research that you recently noticed and thought
“Ooh – that will be useful at work.”
Where did you notice it?
Why did you notice it?
What did you do with it?

18. Table Questions (2)
Think of a time when your cabinet member / Leader asked you for some evidence and you thought
“I don’t know the answer to that.”
What was the issue?
What would it have been useful to know?
Was it a matter of not knowing the evidence or that there isn’t any evidence?
What did you do?

19. Table Questions (3)
Think of one of the things that your team has influenced or a programme that you run that has made you think
“I wish I knew what the true outcomes of that are.”
Is it being / could it be evaluated?
Where did / would the evaluation funding coming from?
How would you engage with academics to research it?

20. Key Points
Tara Lamont –
Helen Walters –

21. John Middleton – President of FPH
Summing up
John Middleton – President of FPH