Representatives from De Montfort University
and Public Health provided the commission with an overview of how
research benefits the communities of Leicester and addressed health
inequalities. It was noted that:
- Health research entails systematic
collection or analysis of data with the intent to develop
generalisable knowledge to understand health challenges and mount
an improved response to them.
- To be generalisable, research had to
be completed in a population that would allow researchers to
understand the wider population.
- A quote from the World Health
Organisation (WHO) was shared with the commission, “Research
is indispensable for resolving Public Health
challenges”.
- Although it was important for
research to be generalisable, it was known that both research
populations and researchers did not currently reflect what they
should.
- Research applications from ethnic
minority researchers were less likely to be successful. People from
ethnic minority groups were under-represented on funding
committees.
- Applications from female researchers
decline with higher career stages.
- Uk geographies with the highest
burden of disease had the lowest number of individuals taking part
in research.
- There had never been a UK based
cohort study that specifically looked at the health of black
women.
- In April 2023, Leicester City
Council entered a research bid to become an National Institute for Health and Care Research
(NIHR) Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC).
- The ambition was to become a
research active organisation and to collaborate with academic and
voluntary and community sector partners to evidence base the high
quality work that was happening in Leicester City.
- The bid received backing from the
City Mayor, Director of Public Health, the two Leicester
Universities and colleagues from the voluntary and community sector
organisations.
- Unfortunately the HDRC bid was
unsuccessful, however the ambition remained. The judging panel were
complimentary about the bid and were keen to work with Leicester.
Subsequently two bits of funding were awarded for a Local Authority
Research Practitioner and Public Health Engagement Lead.
- De Montfort University is one of
only two Universities that are a hub for Strategic Development
Goals. De Montfort was given the Strategic Development Goal 11
which focuses on sustainable cities and communities.
- De Montfort University was in the
process of developing a master’s in Public Health.
- The Universities working together to
look through the lens of health inequalities and to contribute to
tackling local research priorities that are overseen by the Local
Authorities, in Leicester this includes:
o
Civic Universities Partnership - Health, Wellbeing and Sport
theme.
o
University of Leicester – Centre for Ethnic Health Research,
Leicester Diabetes Centre.
o
De Montfort – Stephen Lawrence Centre, Centre for Primary
care Research
o
Health and Wellbeing in Society, Global Health.
o
Ambition to the national leaders in research related to
community.
As part of discussions the Chair invited
members to make comments and it was noted that:
·
The research was not just about residents of Leicester being
subjects in research, but ensuring there was more diversity in
research. The research needed to apply to a diverse community.
·
Talking to communities and having an informed agenda was very
important for research.
·
Work needed to be done to ensure researchers were more robust in
terms of policies that sit around the allocation of resources for
research.
·
Work around inequity, inequalities and disparity were often down
the list in terms of research.
Agreed:
1.
The Commission noted the report.