A team of public health researchers in the West Midlands is standing by to rapidly evaluate local government health policies—from obesity programmes to violence prevention—as soon as they are rolled out. This matters because local authorities often introduce new public health interventions without the resources to rigorously test whether they actually work. The gap between policy implementation and evidence generation means money can be spent on ineffective programmes, while effective ones go unrecognised. This team, called PHIRST PHRESH, will step in to conduct quick, high-quality evaluations of interventions targeting obesity, physical activity, tobacco control, mental health, and environmental health across diverse UK settings. If successful, the research will give local and national government concrete evidence on which interventions improve health outcomes and which do not. That could shift how public money is spent—away from well-intentioned but ineffective programmes and toward those that demonstrably reduce health inequalities. The team will also build evaluation capacity within local authorities themselves, so that evidence use becomes routine rather than exceptional. By co-designing accessible outputs with policymakers, practitioners, and communities, the work aims to make research findings actually usable in the real world.
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The Public Health Research for Health (PHRESH) Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Team (PHIRST) proposes to improve the quality of interventions, inform investment decisions and strengthen the evidence base for public health policies and programmes, through rigorous evaluation and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI). Based on established collaborations between leading West Midlands universities, our multidisciplinary team brings together diverse expertise in public health research, policy, and practice. Our track record demonstrates proficiency in evaluating various interventions targeting obesity, physical activity, healthy feeding, tobacco control, mental health, violence prevention, and environmental health across diverse settings across the UK. General approach: Our approach involves leveraging existing resources and expertise to deliver high-quality research at pace. Upon project allocation, an evaluability assessment will be undertaken and a Project Working Group (PWG) assembled, including a senior academic lead, an early/mid-career researcher, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, a seconded Local Government Public Health practitioner, and PPI representatives. The PWG will report to the PHIRST-PHRESH senior management group (SMG) which has overall responsibility across projects, with oversight from an Independent Advisory Group (IAG). Our knowledge mobilisation strategy runs alongside the programme, targeting diverse audiences relevant to each project, including policymakers, public health practitioners, voluntary & healthcare sectors, and local communities. We will co-design outputs accessible to different audiences. Engagement activities to share and promote evidence uptake will include hosting dissemination events, webinars, and conferences, as well as through a public-facing website and use of social media. Our PPI approach, co-developed with our PPI co-applicants, is guided by three pillars: involving everyone, impacting evidence, and evidencing impact. This informs our overall PPI plan and project specific input, ensuring diverse representation reflective of the community we serve. PPI lead and co-applicants will facilitate engagement activities and training sessions, empowering participants to actively contribute to research. Success criteria will be assessed through research outputs, policy and practice impact, public and stakeholder engagement, health outcomes, and capacity building. Risks, including delays in ethics approval and limited resources, will be mitigated through efficient application submission and leveraging existing collaborations. With our track record of translational public health research, topic and methodological expertise, and wide networks, we will maximise impact by undertaking rigorous evaluation, providing evidence to inform local and national government decisions and improve service delivery. By engaging stakeholders throughout the research process and employing effective knowledge mobilisation strategies, we will contribute to healthier communities and equitable outcomes. Through our work, we will also strengthen research capacity in local authorities and academic institutions, empowering them to utilise research evidence effectively. We will further maximise impact by sharing learning and collaborating with other PHIRST teams.
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