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Deep End Network receives NIHR Impact Award commendation
The North East and North Cumbria Deep End Network has received a national commendation at the NIHR Impact Awards, recognising its success in working to tackle health inequalities across the region.
The NIHR Impact Awards celebrate researchers and teams who have made an extraordinary impact on health and care outcomes, transforming patient care across the UK and internationally.
The judging panel awarded the commendation for ‘Investment’ in recognition of research that led to a £5 million investment from the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) North East and North Cumbria to deliver programmes to improve health and care in underserved neighbourhoods in the North East and North Cumbria.
The award also recognises the impact of collaborative, community-centred research and the value of investing in programmes that address the root causes of health inequalities.
The Deep End GP Network North East and North Cumbria brings together more than 50 primary care practices, researchers, patients and community partners to develop and test new approaches to improving health and wellbeing where need is greatest. The Network is supported by Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, through the NIHR School for Public Health Research, one of the three NIHR Schools.
It is changing how care is designed and delivered in our most socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, working collaboratively to drive system change to reduce health inequalities.
Since 2020, the partnership has supported a range of initiatives, including improving childhood vaccination uptake, increasing access to mental health support, and helping patients overcome practical barriers to accessing healthcare.
Supported by Fuse, the Network has also developed and evaluated innovative approaches to reducing health inequalities. These include Deep End Pharmacy, helping community pharmacies provide care for conditions such as sore throats and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in underserved areas, and MINDED, which embedded mental health specialists within Deep End GP practices to improve access to psychological support for people living in areas of severe socioeconomic disadvantage.
Central to the Network’s success is its commitment to working alongside the communities it serves. Rather than designing solutions for people, healthcare professionals and researchers collaborate with those living and working in local communities to understand what matters most to them and identify practical ways to improve health and wellbeing.
The Network is supported by a Deep End Research Group based at Newcastle University, helping ensure that any new approaches are based on high-quality evidence, and can be tested, evaluated and put into practice more quickly.
Funding support from NIHR, together with cross-NIHR infrastructure working, has been integral to achieving sustained, system-level impact and improvements in care for communities experiencing the greatest disadvantage.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said:
"I offer my warmest congratulations to all the excellent winners and commended teams of this year’s NIHR Impact Prizes, who have all made a crucial contribution to changing lives through research."
Fuse Associate Dr Sarah Sowden is a Public Health Consultant and the NENC Deep End Research Programme lead at Newcastle University. She said:
"We are delighted that the Deep End Network has received this NIHR Impact Award commendation. Funding support from NIHR, together with collaboration across NIHR infrastructure, has been integral to achieving sustained, system-level impact and improvements in care for communities experiencing the greatest disadvantage.
“This award reflects the strength of the partnerships we have built between primary care, public health, researchers, and local communities across North East and North Cumbria. By working together, we have been able to secure significant investment and develop practical evidence-based solutions that help address health inequalities and improve outcomes for patients and communities."
Find out more
New resources, including an impact report, animation, and infographics, have just been launched to share the work of the Deep End Network North East and North Cumbria.
The work of the Deep End Network North East and North Cumbria is supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria, NIHR Academy, NIHR Research Delivery Network and NIHR Schools. It is also supported by Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health – which is part of the NIHR School for Public Health Research.
Adapted with thanks to NIHR ARC NENC
Last modified: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:57:14 BST
