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Improving care in communities facing the greatest health challenges
GPs, researchers, and local communities in the North East and North Cumbria are working together to improve care in our rregion.
The work is supported by researchers from Newcastle University and Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health.
The Deep End GP Network North East and North Cumbria includes over 50 GP practices serving neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage.
The partnership is helping to test new approaches and develop solutions to some of the most pressing health challenges facing communities.
The work of the partnership has been supported by more than £5 million of funding from the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) North East and North Cumbria.
The Network has just published its first major report to illustrate its journey and impact so far, supported by a video animation.
Community members involved in the work have also co-produced infographics to highlight the importance of working closely with local residents. Read more here.
Supporting health where the need is highest
People living in our most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, or ‘Deep End’ communities, die younger and spend more of their lives in poor physical and mental health.
This is because the building blocks of health, like warm homes, healthy food and secure employment, are not always in place.
At the same time, the way healthcare is funded means general practices serving Deep End communities often have fewer staff, less time, and fewer resources to meet higher and more complex levels of need.
This is sometimes referred to as the ‘Inverse Care Law’ – which means the people who need health care the most tend to be the ones who are least likely to receive it.
The first Deep End network for GPs was established in Glasgow in 2009 to address this Inverse Care Law, and learning from this work has inspired and guided the approach taken in the North East and North Cumbria.
Dr Martin Weatherhead has been a GP in the North East for 37 years and is co-clinical lead for the network. He said:
“When I learnt about the Deep End Network in Scotland and the work they were doing, I felt relieved and supported immediately: others truly understood the challenges of being a GP for patients who face the reality of life without the advantages of wealth.
“It’s harder to recruit and retain staff in my practice and harder to meet patients’ needs. We often end up trying to address those needs by treating health problems, like depression and anxiety, that have their roots in poverty, poor and insecure housing, and low income.
“Taking inspiration from Scotland and setting up our own Deep End Network has allowed us to focus on what matters to the local communities we care for. It also lets us meet others who share our interest in doing things differently and better.
“Having a great research team means we can capture what works and use the evidence to argue for changes that better support our patients and communities.
“Being involved has been one of the most rewarding parts of my 37 years as a doctor, 29 of them as a GP in the same practice.”
Finding new solutions to long-standing challenges
Traditional approaches to improving services tend to benefit those who already have good access to care, unintentionally widening health inequalities.
Since its development in 2020, the network has expanded to more than 50 practices, giving healthcare teams and patients’ a stronger collective voice.
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 patients to understand what matters most to them and identify practical ways to improve health and wellbeing.
This approach is particularly important in a region where health inequalities remain among the starkest in England.
The Network is supported by a research team from Newcastle University, helping ensure that new approaches are based on high-quality evidence, and can be tested, evaluated and put into practice more quickly.
Examples include schemes to increase rates of childhood vaccinations, supporting easier access to mental health care, helping patients to reduce their reliance on strong painkillers, and extra funding that allows GPs to support patients with practical issues – such as access to transport – that might otherwise stop them from getting treatment or care.
Dr Sameena Hassan is a GP in Gateshead and network co-clinical lead. She said:
“As a GP, I see the effects of the social determinants of health every day: delayed cancer presentations, mental health issues, and people who have more than one major health condition at a younger age.
“The Deep End Network provides a collaborative space to share challenges, learn from one another and work with system leaders, researchers and communities to build and test interventions that move us towards more sustainable and equitable healthcare.”
Evette is a patient who lives within a Deep End community and is a public advisor for the Network. She said:
“The research that the Deep End is doing is important not only for my community but also for others facing similar challenges. It means communities are being listened to. Deep End research can help target resources where they are most needed, building trust and social cohesion. I am so glad to have helped shape this work.”
Fuse Associate Dr Sarah Sowden is a Public Health Consultant and the NENC Deep End Research Programme lead at Newcastle University. She said:
“The Deep End Network North East and North Cumbria has gone from strength to strength since we first began our work to co-develop the network with just a small group of GP practices and those working in public health back in 2020.
“We know that this is complex work, which is why we wanted to produce a clear and easy to read report and animation to explain more about what the Deep End network is and why it exists. The report shares our co-design and evaluation research, explores what we are doing across the network, and shows how we work together to create positive change for our practices, patients and communities.
“We hope that by sharing our journey, others can learn from it, and that the Deep End model can continue to grow, spread to other areas, and benefit more communities, patients, and frontline staff.”
Find out more
Visit the Deep End NENC website
View the infographics
Acknowledgments
The Deep End Research Group is based at Newcastle University. The work has been supported by a wide range of partners, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, and the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) North East and North Cumbria.
Adapted with thanks to the NIHR ARC NENC
Image by Kumar Sharma from Pixabay
Last modified: Mon, 07 Sep 2026 23:31:02 BST
