Implementing and Evaluating Care - Peak of Research Excellence

Transforming health and social care through innovation, implementation and impact.

At Northumbria we are driving forward research that ensures health and social care innovations are not only developed, but meaningfully implemented, evaluated and accessed.

Despite proven effectiveness, many interventions fail to reach those who need them most. Our researchers are tackling this challenge head-on and working across disciplines to understand the real-world complexities of care delivery to co-create solutions that work in practice, not just on paper.

Our Focus

The Implementing and Evaluating Care Peak specialises in the development, implementation and evaluation of complex interventions that improve outcomes for patients, carers, service users and communities. Our work spans:

Digital and face-to-face care innovations
Implementation science and knowledge mobilisation
Health economics and cost-effectiveness
User-centred design and lived experience integration
From national policy to local practice, we support innovation at every level, ensuring it is sustainable and grounded in the realities of care systems.

Our Approach

We take a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach by bringing together practitioners, policymakers, and people with lived experience. Our research is shaped by those who deliver and receive care, ensuring relevance and impact from the outset.

Our work is underpinned by implementation science frameworks and real-world evaluation tools, including toolkits developed through projects like ImpleMentAll, ItFits, and I-STEM.

Our Impact

Our research is funded by major national and international bodies, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and European Commission. We host the IDEAS National Evaluation Team (IDEAS-NET), and play a leading role in the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria, supporting the translation of evidence into practice across the region. In addition we are also a significant partner to the NIHR Funded Partnership for Workforce Sustainability in Underserved Areas infrastructure grant.