Yorkshire Coast Health Study Could Influence National Health Policy

Monday, 10 March 2025 06:00

By Matthew Pells

It's hoped a £1.2m health study on the Yorkshire Coast will lead to changes in national health policy.

Scarborough Hospital has been awarded national funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, in collaboration with academics from the University of Birmingham and York.

The research will establish how urgent and emergency care could be improved for patients living in rural coastal areas.

Dr Arabella Scantlebury is one of the project leaders, she says they want to hear from local health professionals to find out what works in coastal healthcare.

The 30-month project will consist of three main components:

Mapping current urgent and emergency services in rural and coastal areas across England to identify existing services and any innovations specific to these regions.
Statistical analysis of routine NHS data sets to assess the performance of these services, including their impact on patient health and patient experiences, as well as things like waiting times in emergency departments, hospital admission rates, and repeat service attendances.
A more in-depth look at around 12 services in rural and coastal areas to understand how these services work in practice, including observations of staff and interviews with patients and other people on the periphery of the service like ambulance staff.

The Yorkshire coast will be a key area of focus in the study. The research will look at how different models of care can improve patient outcomes and help services cope with demand.

Dr Arabella Scantlebury says the idea is to take the best local innovations and use them to influence change on a national level.

Community groups such as Age UK (North Yorkshire Coast and Moors) and SeeCHANGE have been involved in the project since the funding bid.

It's hoped that the findings of the study, expected in 2027, will inform national and international decision-makers about how best to provide urgent emergency care.