How evaluation can reform health and social care services

Academics and practitioners from across the UK gathered at Northumbria University to explore new ways to carry out evaluation across the healthcare sector.

The Future of the Evaluation in Health and Social Care provided a platform to discuss the challenges, innovations, and future direction in evaluating complex health and social care interventions.

The event event followed the announcement of funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research (HSDR) to create a new team at Northumbria University that will be responsible for the national evaluation of complex innovations in health and social care.

The team - IDEAS National Evaluation Team (NET) - is one of three national teams, which brings together highly skilled methodologists to conduct interdisciplinary evaluations of complex innovations in health and social care, including the way services are structured and delivered, their accessibility and their impact.  

The team’s findings will provide evidence to the government and NHS leaders to inform decision making around policy and practice for services, organisations and delivery that will help to build a health service fit for the future.

Dr Jason Scott, one of the symposium organisers and co-lead for the IDEAS team at Northumbria University, said: "This symposium brought together leading experts, researchers and practitioners to discuss the latest developments and emerging challenges in health and social care evaluation.

“Through a carefully curated programme of plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and critical discussions, delegates explored how evaluation methodologies must evolve to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of services in what is an increasingly complex landscape.

“The event also served as a significant platform to celebrate the funding for our IDEAS National Evaluation Team and highlighted the synergy between the symposium’s themes and IDEAS team’s mission to advance innovation, inclusivity, and impact in health and social care evaluation. The discussions and insights generated will play a vital role in shaping the future direction of evaluation in health and social care and beyond."

Delegates at the event explored a variety of topics, challenging traditional approaches to evaluation in health and social care. Discussions covered the complexities of widening methodological perspectives, the balance between inclusivity and efficiency, the need for clearer guidance in complex evaluations, and the evolving role of evidence in decision-making.

Speakers highlighted the need to embrace the complexity of health and social care evaluation and urged a shift from simplistic, behaviour-focused solutions to approaches that address the broader social determinants of health.

Professor Laurence Moore, Director of the Medical Research Council said: “This was a timely and thoughtfully convened event. There was a great mix of leading plenary speakers, workshops and discussions which allowed delegates to catch up with and discuss latest developments and future challenges in health and social care evaluation.

“Improving the agility and value of evaluation is crucial if we are to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health and social care services. This event was brilliantly organised and allowed delegates to catch up with and discuss the latest developments and future challenges in this fast-moving field.”

Breakout sessions were also conducted, allowing opportunities for deeper discussion and collaboration in smaller groups and giving participants a chance to engage more directly with some of the key challenges in health and social care evaluation.

Dr Manbinder Sidhu from the University of Birmingham and Co-Director of the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded BRACE Rapid Evaluation Centre, said: "Attending the 'Future of Evaluation in Health and Social Care' symposium was a valuable opportunity to engage with leading UK experts tackling some of the most pressing challenges in evaluation. From Professor Ray Pawson’s thought-provoking ‘Farewell to Evaluation’ to Dr Emily Warren’s insights on the feasibility of realist RCTs, the discussions underscored the evolving role of evaluation in shaping evidence-based policy and practice.” 

“The symposium highlighted the need for innovative, context-sensitive evaluation approaches to inform decision-making across the NHS, social care, and public health sectors. It was an inspiring event that reinforced the importance of collaboration and methodological advancement in improving health and social care outcomes across the UK." 

To access materials from The Future of Evaluation in Health and Social Care symposium or contact the IDEAS Team about future projects and upcoming events, please visit us the website. A full list of sessions and materials can also be accessed here. 

Northumbria University is dedicated to reducing health and social inequalities, contributing to the regional and national workforce and improving social, economic and health outcomes for the most marginalised in society. Through its new Centre for Health and Social Equity, known as CHASE, researchers will be delivering world-leading health and social equity research and creating innovative, evidence-based policies and data-driven solutions to bring impactful change across the region, the UK and globally.