Evaluating Health and Care Programmes
Specialist expertise in the evaluation of health and care programmes and new innovations.

Working in collaboration
Regional and national partnerships
Measuring impact
Detailed Programme Information
Examples of our evaluation in health and care programmes include:
Perinatal Excellence to Reduce Injury in Premature Birth (PERIPrem)
Working in collaboration with the West of England Academic Health Science Network, we were commissioned to evaluate PERIPrem to assess the effectiveness of using Quality Improvement (QI) methodology to support maternity and neonatal units in implementing a standardised bundle of care to mothers who deliver their babies at less than 34 weeks’ gestation.
Our evaluation, published in BMJ Open Quality, found 26% more mothers and babies born prematurely in South West England received the lifechanging care interventions they were eligible for, compared to before PERIPrem started. PERIPrem was also found to have improved perinatal team culture.
Community Assessment and Treatment Units (CATUs)
Alongside the NIHR Applied Research Collaborative South West Peninsula (PenARC), we are working with Community Assessment and Treatment Units (CATUs) in Cornwall and local Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to co-produce an evaluation of the impacts and outcomes achieved by the CATU model. Our evaluation will provide learning and actionable guidance for ICSs. This is work is being undertaken through the NHS National Insights Prioritisation Fund.
Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Awards
We partnered with Kent, Surrey Sussex and Oxford AHSNs to provide an evaluation for winners of the award, led by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC). The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Award, run by the AAC in partnership with NHSX and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), will make £140 million available over three years to accelerate the testing and evaluation of the most promising AI technologies which meet the strategic aims set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
NHSX Regional Scaling Up Programme
In October 2020, NHSX released £1.5million of funds across the seven South West region STPs (Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucester, BNSSG and BSW) in order to support the scaling up of remote monitoring. As part of this programme of work we provided support around the identification of benefits and evaluation approaches. Learning sessions helped identify key learning points that have been taken forward into ongoing South West digital programmes, including support around sharing learning between sites and benefit quantification.
The Covid Innovation Fund
In addition to their financial grant, we supported seven innovators to improve their capability around evaluation. This included developing logic models, evaluation frameworks, data analysis and report writing.
The Somerset Red Quadrant
We have delivered teaching sessions and project support on data and evaluation to Somerset County Council’s organisational development academy. Our support increased the capability of commissioning teams to embed evaluation and use to data as part of the Improving Lives Transformation Programme.
Quadrant iQoro evaluation support
Dysphagia, an impairment to the swallowing process, is a significant issue, linked to higher rates of depression as well as eating difficulties, plus prolonging hospital visits with consequent additional cost to the NHS. iQoro training stimulates sensory receptors around the mouth, improving tone in the muscles involved in swallowing.
NICE approved further research into iQoro, which was undertaken with a group of patients, measuring real-world results, after continued training with the IQoro device. Through our commission by the Office for Life Science, we provided capacity building and evaluation support for the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital to implement and evaluate the project.
Alongside this we have been supporting the company behind iQoro engage the wider AHSN network in considering how to scale their innovation nationally.
If you have an evaluation project in mind that you are looking to progress or you are interested in arranging bespoke training for your organisation, please contact Lynnette Chapman.