Scarborough Hospital, in collaboration with academics from the Universities of Birmingham and York, has been awarded national funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to fund research to establish how urgent and emergency care could be improved for patients living in rural coastal areas.
The study is being jointly led by Dr Arabella Scantlebury (pictured) of the University of Birmingham and Professor Joy Adamson of the University of York. Other universities across the country and other health and care organisations are also involved. The Research and Innovation Department at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will support on the project, which officially starts this month.
Previously, the project partners say, the way health and care services have been designed was based on guidance developed for the whole country, despite demand on these services often being worse in rural and coastal areas. For example, coastal emergency departments can face overcrowding in summer due to high numbers of visiting holiday-makers. They said: “People living in rural coastal areas have poorer health and a lower life expectancy than those living in urban areas. This new study will determine how the NHS can best deliver emergency care in rural and coastal areas. This latest research will focus on the needs of local patients and their issues, as demand for rural and coastal areas is often worse.”
Speaking on the announcement, Dr Arabella Scantlebury, form the University of Birmingham, said: “Developing ways of providing urgent and emergency care in rural and coastal areas in an equitable way is a priority for the NHS and the UK Government. Changes need to be designed with the needs of local patients and local problems in mind. Local community groups from Scarborough are helping to make sure the research addresses issues that are important to people living in rural coastal communities. These communities are often diverse, and the researchers want to make sure the project helps and represents as many people as possible.”
People living in Scarborough provided support to the funding bid by providing feedback, and community groups, such as Age UK (North Yorkshire Coast and Moors) and SeeCHANGE – a cross-sector partnership which campaigns for a healthier Scarborough – continue to engage with researchers.
Rebecca Blakey, Community Engagement officer for SeeCHANGE, said: “It will improve the environment and equipment of the hospital to help staff give the patients the correct and efficient treatment whilst they are in their care.
“The study will provide a better understanding of how emergency care is being transformed in rural coastal areas, by helping understand which models, or ways of working, help improve patient care, and help emergency services cope with demand.”
The study’s findings, due for release in 2027, ‘will inform national and international decision-makers on how best to provide urgent emergency care’.
