South Tees Public Health

Driving national change

The Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) is a revolutionary partnership between Teesside University, Middlesbrough Council, and Redcar & Cleveland Council.

Aimed at tackling health inequalities across South Tees, each council is one of 24 funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Teesside University’s research division is working to understand what is affecting individuals’ ability to lead healthier, happier lives. The work is led at the University by Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch. From this, the partners will pioneer new ways of working and develop initiatives that improve health outcomes across communities.

Challenge

The health of people in South Tees is significantly worse than the UK average. Middlesbrough has long been identified as one of the most deprived local authorities in the entire country, with almost half of the City’s Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) frequently ranked within the 10 per cent most deprived. Between 2015 and 2019, Redcar and Cleveland also saw a marked increase in rates of deprivation, with both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for men and women falling far below England’s average.

Teesside University is on a mission to transform the lives and individuals and communities within the region. Forging partnerships with community leaders and stakeholders is central to the success of this as we work collaboratively to address regional disparities. In examining these health statistics in South Tees, there was an opportunity to bring together key stakeholders to do something meaningful, impactful and long-lasting. This was the beginning of the HDRC.

Solution

In partnering with the councils of Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland, the new Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) is set to transform South Tees into an international beacon for research and innovation. With the clear objective of tackling poor health outcomes and inequalities, the group is already building capacity and capability across both councils to generate outcomes that make a genuine difference to public health.

Teesside University is also increasing the research investment in South Tees to give people the control over their lives they need to make healthier, happier and more beneficial decisions.

The HDRC has been designed to foster a collaborative working culture; one with research activity at its heart and is shared equally across local agencies, councils and communities. This collaborative approach means new ideas can be disseminated quickly and in a way that captures the input and imagination of the local population. The team is looking to generate a range of publicly available health reports, as well as complementary short summaries and training that make this complex subject matter easy to understand for the public.

Teesside University is also implementing a “community-led methodological innovation”. This collaborative mechanism sees stakeholders given the resource to learn from the HDRC and put the findings into meaningful actions to strive towards healthier ways of life.

Impact

The legacy of South Tees’ industrial past and the impacts of poverty and health inequalities post significant health challenges in the region. The HDRC is a critical first step in making a change. Teesside University is proud to be part of a project that pools our expertise with that of local councillors, healthcare professionals and industry experts. The research carried out by the HDRC isn’t abstract or destined to be used in remote settings: the findings made locally will be applied locally, helping our communities to live healthier, happier and more independent lives.

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University, Professor Paul Croney, OBE, said: “Our university has a bold mission to transform lives of individuals and communities. This commitment is embedded throughout our research and innovation activity and working in partnership is absolutely critical to realising our ambitions.

“The HDRC is an important project in the region and one we are proud to be part of. As it develops, we will continue to work closely with the group’s partners to power collaboration and drive positive impact to the health of our communities.”