Research Projects and Partnerships

We work in partnership with universities, the NHS, and community organisations to deliver practical, community-focused health research that informs services, policy, and everyday practice.

Our research also supports workforce development, evidences social value, and strengthens the case for community-based health solutions.

Why Our Research Matters

Healthworks research helps to:

• improve the quality and impact of health and wellbeing services
• address health inequalities through evidence-based approaches
• ensure community voices shape research design and delivery
• share learning with partners, practitioners, and policymakers

We are committed to inclusive research that is grounded in real-world settings and lived experience.

This page provides an overview of our current and recent research projects, with links to full reports, evaluations, and publications where available.

NIHR Recognised Research Site

As an NIHR recognised site, Healthworks joins a prestigious network of organisations driving impactful research to tackle real-world health challenges.

We are proud to be involved in research supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

These projects contribute to the national evidence base while ensuring local communities benefit from high-quality research.

Research Leadership and Networks

Healthworks plays an active role in regional and national research leadership, ensuring community health priorities shape policy, practice, and service design.

We collaborate, co-design, and deliver impactful research through population health leadership groups, NIHR-supported networks, and interdisciplinary steering groups focused on reducing health inequalities and evaluating real-world innovation.

Examples of our research collaborations and delivery include:

Research Impact and Value

Healthworks works with health economists to evaluate the economic and social impact of its programmes from both a healthcare and societal perspective. Independent evaluations have demonstrated reduced demand on NHS services, including fewer GP appointments, hospital admissions, and falls, alongside delayed progression of long-term conditions such as diabetes.

In some programmes, this impact has translated into significant social value, with evidence showing an estimated £416,000 in social value and a return of approximately £5 to £6 for every £1 invested, highlighting the effectiveness and sustainability of community-based interventions.

Current Research Projects:

PhD Research: Home-Based Exercise for Hypertension

Healthworks is funding a PhD research project with Northumbria University exploring whether home-based isometric exercise and lifestyle changes can help manage high blood pressure (hypertension).

The study focuses on simple exercises, such as wall squats, combined with healthy lifestyle changes including physical activity, diet and reduced alcohol intake.

The research will test a 12-week remote intervention to assess feasibility and acceptability, with the aim of developing a low-cost, accessible approach to hypertension management.

Findings will inform future large-scale studies and support evidence-based solutions to reduce cardiovascular risk and NHS costs.

Personalised Exercise Rehabilitation for People with Multiple Long-Term Conditions (PERFORM)

PERFORM is a research study led by Leicester University that tests whether a personalised exercise rehabilitation programme can improve health outcomes for people with multiple long-term conditions (LTCs).

The study also examines its cost-effectiveness and how it can be delivered alongside existing cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Healthworks is one of the selected UK delivery sites, chosen to reflect diverse communities, including variation in long-term conditions, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.

PURE-EX: Physical Activity Support After Breast Cancer

PURE-EX is a Breast Cancer Now funded research programme that aims to improve physical activity and diet support for women after breast cancer treatment.

Healthworks is working with Newcastle University and the NHS to develop and test a community-based programme that integrates physical activity referrals into breast cancer care.

Keep Exercising and Stay Steady

Keep Exercising and Stay Steady (KESS) is a research project led by Healthworks in partnership with Northumbria University.  The study focuses on developing and testing a digital health intervention to help people continue exercising after completing falls prevention exercise programmes, such as FaME.

KESS aims to support long-term exercise maintenance through a digital approach, helping people stay active, maintain physical gains, and reduce future fall risk.

TEXTPAD: Virtual Exercise for Peripheral Arterial Disease

TEXTPAD is a randomised controlled trial evaluating a 12-week virtual exercise and behaviour change programme for people living with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).

Delivered by Healthworks in partnership with Northumbria University and Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust, the study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based telehealth intervention in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

Early findings showed participants reported feeling fitter and stronger, with evidence suggesting that preventing the need for even a small number of surgical interventions could fund the programme for an entire year, demonstrating clear value for the NHS.

Qualitative findings from the trial were published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery – Vascular Insights, highlighting patient experiences and the acceptability of community-based digital rehabilitation.

Other Recent Research Projects:

Community Voices on Local Health Issues

This Healthworks report explores good community-led research practice across the North East and North Cumbria, highlighting health inequalities, barriers to access, and the importance of stronger VCSE partnerships and community involvement in shaping future research.

Cervical Screening Uptake in Disadvantaged Communities

Healthworks supported a Northumbria University research study that explored barriers to cervical screening in deprived communities and worked with local women to develop approaches to increase screening uptake.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Virtual Health Programme

The AAA Virtual Health Programme is a 12-week online exercise and lifestyle programme for people with low-grade AAA. Developed with Northumbria University and NHS Newcastle Trust, it supports health, fitness and quality of life through safe, home-based exercise.

Exploring Alternatives to Sunbed Use in Young Adults

Healthworks supported a Northumbria University study exploring young adults’ views on alternatives to sunbed use, using surveys and interviews to inform future interventions that promote safer, healthier choices.

Additional Research Projects and Collaborations

Pre-Op DREAMS:

• Pre-operative diabetes reversal programme for people undergoing elective and major surgery
• Demonstrated strong health outcomes
• Winner of a recent Innovation Award, supported by the Academic Health Science Network

Accessible Community Covid-19 Education and Physical Therapy (ACCEPT)

• Established during the COVID-19 pandemic through a partnership with Northumbria University and Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust
• Informed by findings from the ACCEPT feasibility study
• Helped pioneer community-based long COVID rehabilitation in the UK
• Continues to contribute to and shape national long COVID research collaborations

Understanding Long Covid in Northern England: A Growing Challenge

• Collaborative report exploring the impact of Long Covid on health, wellbeing, and employment across Northern England
• Produced in partnership with Health Equity North, Newcastle University, the University of Manchester, Insights North East, Public Health South Tees, and Healthworks
• Identified higher rates of Long Covid in the North compared to the South
• Highlighted significant health inequalities, with some areas reporting symptoms in up to 20% of patients

Addressing the Crisis in Child Mental Health

• Research exploring social prescribing as primary prevention for child mental health
• Led by Newcastle University, funded by the NENC Child Health and Wellbeing Network
• Delivered with Zoneworks (Healthworks staff), the project focused on supporting children in socially deprived communities through cross-sector collaboration

Healthworks’ Programme Evaluation

Staying Steady Falls Prevention

Independent evaluation by Northumbria University shows that key Healthworks programmes deliver strong return on investment and clear health benefits. The findings highlight NHS cost savings, including fewer hospital admissions and falls, delayed onset of diabetes, reduced pressure on GP and emergency services, and improved mental wellbeing.

Further evaluation of the Staying Steady falls prevention programme, published in BMC Public Health, confirms the effectiveness of Healthworks’ approach in improving health outcomes and reducing demand on NHS services.

Wider Research Collaboration

In addition to delivering studies, Healthworks supports grant development, pilot projects, national impact case studies, and research engagement events.  This collaborative approach strengthens partnerships and accelerates the use of evidence in practice.

Healthworks supports the Health and Life Sciences Pledge, a regional initiative bringing organisations together to strengthen the health and life sciences sector, address shared challenges, and showcase innovation across health and social care.

Workforce Development and Student Pathways

Healthworks supports future health and research professionals through student placements, internships, and embedded research opportunities.  We have hosted over 30 Clinical Exercise Physiology students, with many progressing into employment, including senior roles, and currently employ 12 Northumbria University graduates and postgraduates.

Our placements span physiotherapy, nutrition, early years, and public health, with third-year physiotherapy placements planned from 2026, alongside continued support for internships and a funded PhD studentship.

Publications and Evidence

Healthworks research partnerships have contributed to peer-reviewed publications and national reports covering physical activity, long-term conditions, health inequalities, falls prevention, and Long Covid.

Research+Me

Research+Me supports people in Newcastle to learn about research opportunities and get involved in studies that matter to them.  It helps researchers connect with diverse communities and ensures public involvement is meaningful and accessible.

Ongoing and Emerging Research

Healthworks continues to develop and support new research collaborations that build on its established research portfolio and community expertise.

Current and emerging work includes involvement in NIHR and MRC funding applications supported by the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation (DSER), pilot digital approaches to extend falls prevention programmes, and collaborative research exploring cardiopulmonary exercise testing and the physiological impact of Long COVID.

Healthworks is also contributing evidence and testimonies to national REF 2029 impact case studies, exploring interdisciplinary research with Nursing and Midwifery colleagues, supporting accelerometry sub-studies within the PERFORM trial, and hosting research showcase events in partnership with Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria.

Get Involved in Healthworks’ Research

Interested in partnering with us on research that makes a real impact?

Whether you’re a university, NHS team, community organisation, or funder, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact Paul Court via [email protected] or click the button below to help us shape health research and reduce health inequalities in the North East.