Health Services & Delivery Research Programme Evidence Synthesis Centre

ScHARR - Regent Court

Earlier in 2017 HEDS, in collaboration with ScHARR’s Public Health Section, successfully won a £500,000 three-year competitive tender from the National Institute for Health Research to renew its Health Services & Delivery Research Programme Evidence Synthesis Centre (ESC). 

The Sheffield ESC is one of three, formerly two, centres (the others being in Exeter and York) that offer a rapid response reviews service on Programme priorities to inform policy and research. Typically, a small team, comprised of reviewers and information specialists, works within a rapid review timetable proposing an appropriate methodology and review type for each question. Currently, our team is conducting a mapping and realist review looking at implementation of successful interventions to reduce preventable hospital admissions.

HEDS-based ESC core staff include Anna Cantrell and Dr Louise Preston with Dr Andrew Booth, who is co-Director of the centre with Professor Elizabeth Goyder of the Public Health Section. Meanwhile the team’s report distilling methodological and organisational lessons learned from the first three years of the Sheffield and York ESCs is now available:  
Chambers, D., Booth, A., Rodgers, M. et al. (2017) NIHR HS&DR evidence synthesis centres: achievements and learning from the first three year programme, 2014–2017. Report. NIHR Journals Library, Southampton. http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/120637/3/HS%26DR%2013.05.12%20%2813.182.12%29%20Web%20Report-1-White%20Rose.pdf

Meanwhile Andrew Booth, as senior review methodologist, joined a School of Nursing-led team to successfully secure a five year contract to form a Royal College of Nursing/University of Sheffield strategic alliance for research.