National ARC flagship projects

COVID-19 care home sectors study

This study seeks to understand the peer support available to care homes during the pandemic, and whether isolated care homes were able to link into these networks. The aim is to establish general rules for how health and care systems can work collaboratively with care homes. The study will produce resources to fill knowledge gaps and facilitate practical, evidence-based solutions to the problems faced within the care home sector. The researchers will also determine if longer-term lessons can be learned about bridging the gaps within and between different health and social care providers.

Lead ARC: East Midlands
Supporting ARCs: Yorkshire and Humber, East of England

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Digitally-enabled rehabilitation for people with Long COVID

It’s thought that up to 10% of people who have had COVID-19 go on to develop Long COVID, symptoms of which can include feeling breathless, anxiety, aches and pains, loss of appetite, tiredness and fatigue. This project aims to develop, deploy and evaluate a programme to provide effective and cost-effective rehabilitation to patients affected by Long COVID, within the available NHS resources.

Lead ARC: North Thames
Supporting ARCs: Wessex

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End of life care in the COVID-19 era

This project is using data to understand the end of life care needs for patients with COVID-19, to predict the resources needed to meet demand. The researchers are using data from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to predict local resource needs. Following this, they plan to make the model freely available for use nationally and internationally.

Lead ARC: South West Peninsula
Supporting ARCs: West

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Far away from home

This project aims to understand and improve the experiences of young people, aged 13 to 17, who require admission to hospital for psychiatric care. The study will find out more about the young people who are admitted far away from home or to adult wards. In particular, researchers want to know what they and their families feel about the situation and the impact it has on them. Across all parts of the study, the researchers will explore the impact of COVID-19 on young people and their families, on clinicians and on service provision.

Lead ARC: East Midlands
Supporting ARCs: East of England, Greater Manchester, Oxford and Thames Valley

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Health and care inequalities research

A team of researchers from across northern England is analysing the impact of COVID-19 on different groups in society. The results have shown that the pandemic disproportionately affects the North of England, and/or people who experience material deprivation. Ongoing research is analysing regional inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes, and the possible consequences of these inequalities on post-COVID-19 economic recovery. This research is in collaboration with the Northern Health Science Alliance.

Lead ARC: North East and North Cumbria
Supporting ARCs: Greater Manchester, North West Coast, Yorkshire and Humber

Read the latest findings from this study

NHS Check study

The NHS Check study is looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of NHS staff. The study collected data from around 23,400 staff (clinical, non-clinical, professional and support) in five regions over 18 months. The findings will help local trusts and the NHS understand how their staff are coping with the pandemic, and to make better decisions about how to support them. The study is examining the ethnicity, work and personal situations of staff, as well as information about burnout, fatigue, absence, intention to stay in their current jobs, and the support they have received from their employers.

Lead ARC: North Thames
Supporting ARCs: East of England, South London, Yorkshire and Humber, North East and North Cumbria, West, East Midlands

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Remote-by-default care in the COVID-19 pandemic

This project aims to support the development of tools to help clinicians assess patients effectively by phone or video, as well as strengthening the supporting infrastructure for digital innovation in the NHS. Part of the research will investigate the impact of digital care on those living in poverty and/or from marginalised groups. There are significant challenges for those without the best phones, without credit and without homes, as well as for those living with frailty, mental health problems or learning difficulties.

Lead ARC: South West Peninsula
Supporting ARCs: Oxford and Thames Valley

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Understanding Long COVID to improve diagnosis, treatment and care

This major new research consortium aims to work out what Long COVID is, how to diagnose it and how to manage it. The team will interview patients and health professionals and analyse data from NHS records, to inform understanding of patterns of Long COVID and the outcomes of current clinical practice. The consortium is made up of more than 30 researchers, health professionals, patients and industry partners from over 30 organisations working together under the banner of STIMULATE-ICP.

Lead ARC: North Thames
Supporting ARCs: South West Peninsula, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber

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‘Top Tips for Tricky Times’ resources

These resources are designed to support care home staff through the COVID-19 pandemic. They cover topics such as supporting residents at the end of life, supporting families at a distance, and what to do when residents don’t understand social distancing. The resources have been developed by researchers in collaboration with frontline staff. They complement, but do not replace, central government guidelines.

Lead ARC: East of England
Supporting ARCs: Kent, Surrey and Sussex, East Midlands

Access the resources