New Exeter Medical School research, supported by PenCLAHRC and the Wellcome Trust, has found a link between school absence and anxiety. The comprehensive, international review of data -  the first of its kind - took place over an 18 month period and drew on the collaboration of a broad team of researchers, from medical students to statisticians, child psychiatrists to evidence synthesists. The team performed an exhaustive systematic review to investigate the relationship between anxiety and poor school attendance, including excused and unexcused absence. The second paper to be published from this research, it suggests that children with anxiety miss...

As a partnership of NHS Trusts across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, plus the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, PenCLAHRC work with healthcare professionals, policymakers and the public to identify areas of research that reflect the real needs and concerns of the health service in the South West. 

To illustrate how this works in practice, we’ve highlighted some work carried out in collaboration with Livewell South West.

Livewell South West is a recognised provider of integrated health and social care services operating across Devon and parts of Cornwall and prides itself on being forward-thinking when it comes to providing care. Our Operational...

Despite the proven effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programmes in reducing readmissions and risk of death from heart disease, attendance varies widely across the UK and is generally poor. An NIHR-funded trial involving researchers from PenCLAHRC has found that home-based rehabilitation for people with heart failure improves quality of life at 12 months compared with usual care.

216 people with heart failure, predominantly men with an average age of 70, were recruited from primary and secondary care in the UK, for a home-based programme. The programme, facilitated by a trained cardiac nurse or physiotherapist and developed from health behaviour change theory, was co-developed...

Dr Daniel Chalk, PenCLAHRC’s Lead for the Health Services Modelling Associates (HSMA) Programme, considers the HSMA to ‘represent the future of operational research and decision making in the NHS.’ At a final seminar event in December 2018, delegates heard about the impact projects are having on positive outcomes for patients and NHS workers.

Each year, as part of the health service modelling programme, a number of health service employees are given training, a mentor and day release, to undertake advanced modelling, simulation and analysis work on a research project, culminating in an annual presentation seminar.

Associates from the HSMA programme’s 2018 cohort presented...