Research

At Healthworks, we believe research is integral to better health outcomes and we are a key partner in health inequalities research and innovative interventions with our colleagues across the region’s Universities and NHS.

We collaborate, co-design and deliver on some truly ground breaking and important research which can make a real difference to people’s lives.

 


Healthworks is now a National Institute for Health and Care Research (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.

This recognition enables us to:

  • Lead new studies addressing long-term health conditions and well-being strategies
  • Strengthens our partnerships with universities, researchers, and healthcare organisations
  • Access new research funding, training, and innovation opportunities
  • Involve our community in shaping research priorities
  • Accelerate progress toward evidence-based interventions that improve lives

Current and recent research:

Personalised Exercise-Rehabilitation FOR people with Multiple long-term conditions (PERFORM)

Randomised Controlled Trial with Prospective Cohort Study and Social Media SWAT: Leicester University

This work aims to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of PERFORM in people with multiple LTCs.

Specific objectives are to:
1.  To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PERFORM to compared to usual in people with multiple LTCs not eligible for referral to a standard cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation programme in a randomised clinical trial;
2.  To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the addition PERFORM to usual care compared to standard cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation in people with multiple LTCs in a prospective cohort study;
3.  To refine programme theory and identify barriers and facilitators to future wide scale implementation and develop an implementation toolkit.

Healthworks is one of the sites chosen in the UK. Site selection considered the geographical variation in the prevalence of multiple LTCs and ethnicity and socioeconomic groups.

Find out more about PERFORM.


 

Co-development of a programme to improve physical activity support for women after breast cancer treatment: a pre-protocol for PURE-EX

Breast cancer and its treatment can have long-term adverse effects on physical and mental health.

Evidence-based guidelines recommend that healthcare professionals (HCPs) advise women with breast cancer to engage in physical activity to improve health outcomes.  However, support to be active is not standard care.

Funded by Breast Cancer Now, Healthworks is working with Dr Sam Orange at Newcastle University on the PURE-EX (EXpanding into communities to imProve physical activity sUpport foR womEn after breast cancer) programme which aims to address this knowledge-practice gap.

Here, we present the initial plan (pre-protocol) for the PURE-EX programme (EXpanding into communities to imProve physical activity sUpport foR womEn after breast cancer). PURE-EX will co-develop, refine, and test a programme that aims to integrate physical activity referrals into standard care for women after breast cancer treatment.

Read more about this programme here.

Breast Cancer Now, PUREX Research project: Expanding into communities to improve lifestyle support for women after breast cancer (PURE-EX)

Funded by Breast Cancer Now, Healthworks, Newcastle University and the NHS will be working together over the next 3 years to co-develop and test of the feasibility of the above programme to improve diet and physical activity support in breast cancer care.

Read more about this project.


Keep Exercising and Stay Steady

Healthworks, in collaboration with Northumbria University, is conducting a research project titled KESS (Keep Exercising and Stay Steady).

This study is focused on developing and testing a digital health intervention designed to support ongoing exercise maintenance for individuals who have completed falls prevention exercise programmes.

As people age, declines in muscle strength and balance become major risk factors for falls and serious injuries. Evidence shows that completing group-based falls management exercise (FaME) programs leads to significant improvements in muscle strength, balance, and overall function, while also reducing falls and injury rates in older adults.  However, many people reduce or stop exercising within 6 to 24 months of completing these programs. Without continued activity, the physical benefits fade, and the risk of falls and injuries rises.

This research aims to create and assess the feasibility of a digital intervention to support continued exercise engagement for FaME program participants, helping them to maintain the benefits of their physical progress and reduce future fall risks.  The goal of the study is to design and evaluate the feasibility and user acceptance of a digitally supported exercise maintenance intervention for individuals who have participated in FaME classes.


Cervical Screening

Healthworks is supporting the study at Northumbria University into Increasing timely cervical screening participation in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.

Supervisory team:

  • Dr Angela Rodrigues – Fuse (Northumbria University)
  • Dr Angela Wearn – Fuse (Newcastle University)
  • Professor Elizabeth Goyder – University of Sheffield
  • Mr Paul Court – Healthworks

Cancer Research UK estimate that 99.8% of cervical cancer cases are preventable, well-attended routine cervical screening programmes as one of the most effective ways to reduce cervical cancer morbidity and mortality.

Despite this, uptake regularly falls short of the NHS 80% target, with a persistent social gradient in uptake (i.e. whereby those living in the most deprived communities are less likely to attend in line with NHS guidelines, in comparison to those in more affluent communities; Douglas et al., 2016).

A recent project conducted within the North East of England explored socioeconomic inequalities in cervical screening participation and how to address barriers most relevant for those living in areas of high deprivation (Wearn, 2020). This project appraises existing interventions by exploring effective behaviour change strategies and mechanisms of change associated with cervical screening uptake and aims to extend and refine the toolbox of intervention strategies (Wearn, 2020) through a series of stakeholder engagement activities.

There is a strong focus on public involvement throughout, with the inclusion of a reference group of women living in areas of high deprivation to inform and steer project progress and outcomes.


AAA Virtual Health Programme: A 12-week exercise and lifestyle intervention for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) management

The AAA Exercise Plan is an integral part of the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) research project, a collaborative initiative between Northumbria University and NHS Newcastle Trust.

This 12-week virtual programme is designed for patients with low-grade AAA, supporting their health and well-being through a home based telehealth approach. Using different activities, the main goal is to test the effectiveness of a structured, remote exercise and behavior program tailored to the needs of people with AAA.

This plan offers a step-by-step exercise programme divided into four phases to build strength, aerobic fitness, and functional skills.
Patients join hour-long sessions twice a week, which include a warm-up, aerobic circuit, strength exercises, and a cool-down. The Borg Scale is used to ensure safe exercise intensity, and the program is reviewed every four weeks to adjust as participants progress.

This guide helps healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers with detailed instructions for each phase and tips to monitor exercise intensity safely. It’s a vital part of the AAA project’s mission to improve quality of life and physical resilience for people with low-grade Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

You can explore the AAA Exercise Plan by clicking the button below.


Understanding Long Covid in Northern England: A Growing Challenge

The Understanding Long Covid in Northern England: A Growing Challenge report, a collaboration between Health Equity North, Newcastle University, University of Manchester, Insights North East, Public Health South Tees and Healthworks, explores the impact of Long Covid on the health, wellbeing and employment prospects of adults living in Northern England.

The report reveals that Long Covid is affecting up to a fifth of patients in certain areas of the North of England.  It highlights the alarming inequalities in Long Covid rates, showing a clear divide between the North and South of the country.

Key Findings:

  • The North West of England has the highest percentage of people reporting Long Covid symptoms, with 5.5% of the population affected. The North East and Yorkshire follow closely with 5.1%.
  • In certain GP practices in the North, up to 20% of patients have reported symptoms of Long Covid, underscoring the severity of the condition in these regions.

The impact of Long Covid:

Long Covid affects both the physical and mental health of individuals, with common symptoms including:

  • Brain fog
  • Fatigue
  • Breathlessness
  • Low mood
  • Depression

These symptoms have far-reaching consequences, not only on personal health but also on professional lives. The report found that many people suffering from Long Covid have faced significant challenges at work, including demotion, job loss, or the need to switch to part-time employment.

At Healthworks, we are committed to supporting those affected by Long Covid and advocating for the resources and research needed to address this growing health challenge.

 


Exploring young adults’ perspectives on alternatives to sunbed use: a mixed methods study

Healthworks is supporting a study with Northumbria University investigating the use of sun beds.

Sunbed use increases the risk of skin-cancer including melanoma. Despite this knowledge and the introduction of UK Government regulation in 2010, many people still use them, particularly young people. We lack research on how to help people stop using sunbeds and encourage them to take up alternatives (such as spray-tan). This study aims to understand young adults’ thoughts on sunbed alternatives.

Part 1 of the study involves an online survey to explore why young adults do or don’t use alternatives to sunbeds.  Around 30 sunbed users will then be invited to complete Part 2, where they will “think aloud” whilst exploring different strategies to encourage sunbed alternatives.

The results from this study will inform the development of evidence-based strategies to promote alternatives to sunbed use, that can be tested in a future randomised trial.


Community Voices on Local Health Issues

Read our findings on what good research practice looks like from a community perspective across the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System Region.

This report adds to evidence on what good research practice looks like from a community perspective. It also highlights the pervasive health issues which need to be considered by researchers and services.

 

Our report highlights the following

Local health issues that affected people included:

  • Access issues and barriers to services for different groups of people
  • A general lack of awareness of available local resources
  • Wider social and economic issues prevent people from living a healthy life

Recommendations for partnership working with research included:

  • More partnership work with Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations
  • Better access to research resources for VCSE organisations
  • More accountability and evaluation of research from a community viewpoint

Other research projects

TEXT-PAD:

TEXT-PAD, which is a research project in collaboration with Northumbria University and NHS Newcastle trust, is a 12-week virtual exercise and behaviour intervention for patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAT). The study is designed to assess the feasibility of a home-based multimodal telehealth invention and improve the health and well-being of patients with PAD.

The Journal of Vascular Surgery – Vascular Insights  (JVS-VI) recently published an article on their website:

A qualitative study exploring the acceptability of the TEXTPAD telehealth and virtual supervised exercise intervention and trial for patients with peripheral arterial disease living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas”

 

This study explored people’s experience of TEXT-PAD and you can read the article here.

 

Pre-Op DREAMS:

We have also delivered Pre-operative uncontrolled diabetes reversal before elective and major surgery, Pre-Op DREAMS, with fantastic outcomes. This work has recently won an Innovation Award supported by the Academic Science Network.

 

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

Healthworks has recently supported a Long Covid research project ACCEPT with Ioannis Vogiatzis Ph.D. FERS, Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at Northumbria University.

 

Addressing the crisis in child mental health: primary prevention through social prescribing as the missing link

Mental health disorders in children are increasing and most at-risk are those living in social deprivation. This Newcastle University study funded by NENC Child Health and Wellbeing Network with Zoneworks (Healthworks staff) explores the feasibility of Social Prescribing for children, utilising cross-sector collaboration within an at-risk community.

Find out more about this study.

 


Evaluation of key Healthworks programmes

A Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics at Northumbria University evaluated the return on investment (ROI) for some of the key programmes run by Healthworks.

The University was able to show that as well as realising improvements associated with specific conditions, these programmes showed cost savings and benefits in both a healthcare and societal perspective. Our programmes have delayed the onset of diabetes cases, led to fewer inpatient admissions thus freeing up hospital beds, reduced the burden on GPs, A&E departments and ambulance services, reduced falls, weight loss and reduced anxiety and loneliness and improved mental wellbeing. These programmes have played a real role in helping to relieve pressure on NHS services by improving people’s health.

Emily James, Northumbria University, completed a review of the Staying Steady falls prevention programme which was published in the BMC Public Health Journal. A summary of her findings is included below.

Staying Steady

You can find out more about Staying Steady here.


 

Proud to support the Health and Life Sciences Pledge

Healthworks are signed up to the Health and Life Sciences Pledge, which is led by the Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, which brings together the regional health and life sciences ecosystem to:

  • collectively address challenges within the sector
  • gain recognition for our exemplary infrastructure and assets nationally and internationally
  • identify opportunities and attract investment to the region and
  • celebrate our collective success in the health and social care innovation arena.

 


 

Feasibility and Acceptability of Remote Home-Based Leg Isometric Exercise Training and Lifestyle Change for the Management of Hypertension

Healthworks in collaboration with Northumbria University are joint funding a PhD Studentship under the supervision of Dr Gabriel Cucato. This will explore home-based leg isometric exercise and lifestyle changes for managing hypertension.

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a significant contributor to high cardiovascular mortality and economic burden in the United Kingdom. While aerobic and dynamic resistance training are commonly recommended for AH management, they face barriers such as time, cost, and accessibility.  Isometric exercise, particularly wall squats, has emerged as an effective alternative, offering substantial blood pressure reductions with minimal time and equipment.

Moreover, lifestyle changes, including improved physical activity, diet, smoking cessation, and alcohol reduction, are recommended for NICE Hypertension guidelines to reduce blood pressure.  However, the combination of these interventions and its potential impact on HA management have not been explored.

This study will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a remote, home-based intervention that combines isometric leg exercises with lifestyle changes in hypertensive individuals.  We will employ a feasibility pilot trial design, with seventy participants (35 in each arm) being randomised into a 12-week intervention followed by a 12-week follow-up or a 24-week follow-up (Control group).

We hypothesise that this combined intervention will demonstrate high feasibility and acceptability among hypertensive individuals. Additionally, this study will generate preliminary data to inform a future large-scale randomised controlled trial assessing the intervention’s effectiveness and costs within NHS.

The scope of the work will also define specific, measurable outcomes linked to Healthworks’ impact and looking at how we can use validated tools and scales for assessments. This approach will bridge the gap between anecdotal success and scientific validation and will enable Healthworks to enhance credibility with funders and provide evidence-based interventions that can be replicated and scaled.

 


Research+ Me

Research underpins a lot of medicines and health advice that we all use day to day. However, the results of research and clinical trials often don’t represent our local populations.

We are working with our partners across the NHS and Universities work to better understand how we can better engage and involve different communities.

We’d like to encourage you to consider signing up to Research+ Me to learn more about what local clinical trials are going on in Newcastle.

 

You can find out more and sign up by following this link https://redcap.link/rpm-healthworks

Anyone aged 18 or over can register to be involved. Some trials are for healthy volunteers and others are for people with specific medical conditions. Currently they are now looking for volunteers:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Heart disease
  • Asthma
  • Obesity
  • Depression and bipolar disorder
  • Healthy volunteers

Remember your support could potentially save lives and health outcomes for thousands of people!


Contact us

If you are interested in discussing how we can support your research please contact us on: [email protected]