Projects

Project overview

‘Deep End’ networks aim to engage general practitioners (GPs) to change the way primary care is delivered in areas of blanket socioeconomic deprivation, and to advocate for wider systemic changes in healthcare funding.

The Deep End GP Network for our region involves 52 GP practices (as of October 25) – which is more than half of those that have been identified as serving areas of blanket deprivation in our region.

Researchers from the ARC North East and North Cumbria have worked hand-in-hand with GPs to co-design the Deep End Network for the North East and North Cumbria, to ensure that it meets the needs of Deep End primary care professionals – and the communities they serve.

They used a co-design approach which put primary care professionals at the centre of planning, development and implementation, helping achieve better buy-in and ensuring the initiative meets real-world needs.

Working with the Deep End GP Network as embedded partners

Following its development and launch ARC NENC researchers continued to work with the Deep End GP network as embedded partners – working closely with a range of primary care professionals working in the practices, to help to co-design and shape the Network itself, as well as ensure that projects linked to the Network address the needs of Deep End GPs and their communities.

The Deep End North East and North Cumbria project is supported by a number of key senior GP champions, Directors of Public Health and public health consultants.

Other partners include Health Education England and Health Innovation (HI) North East and North Cumbria.

Its programme of work is supported by funding from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) North East and North Cumbria.

Work to involve patients in the development of the Deep End Network is led by an ARC NENC research fellow.

Research papers linked to our Deep End work are below

Developing the Deep End Network 

Full article: “A change in the narrative, a change in consensus”: the role of Deep End networks in supporting primary care practitioners serving areas of blanket socioeconomic deprivation

In at the Deep End: Innovative approaches to engaging underserved communities in Northern England | European Journal of Public Health | Oxford Academic

Socioeconomic inequalities in primary care research: how can we make research more equitable? | BJGP Open

COVID-19 at the Deep End: A Qualitative Interview Study of Primary Care Staff Working in the Most Deprived Areas of England during the COVID-19 Pandemic – August 2021

Opioid and gabapentinoid deprescribing

Realities of opioid and gabapentinoid deprescribing in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities: qualitative evaluation | BJGP Open

Digitally deployed, GP remote consultation video intervention that aims to reduce opioid prescribing in primary care: protocol for a mixed-methods evaluation – PMC

Lipid management/cardiovascular disease

Lipid Management in Primary Care for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations in Northern England: A Qualitative Study – Yu Fu, Sarah Sowden, Julia L. Newton, 2024

Tailoring lipid management interventions to reduce inequalities in cardiovascular disease risk management in primary care for deprived communities in Northern England: a mixed-methods intervention development protocol – PubMed

GP training

How to address the inverse care law and increase GP recruitment in areas of socioeconomic deprivation: a qualitative study of GP trainees’ views and experiences in the UK | BJGP Open

Professionals’ views and experiences of the TrainDEEP (TRaining Assistance INitiative in DEep End Practices) pilot: transforming GP practices into training practices in disadvantaged areas in the North East of England | BJGP Open

Childhood immunisation

Designing a “Deep End” childhood immunisation intervention: a pre-implementation qualitative study | BJGP Open

Mental health

OP25 Qualitative evaluation of a complex mental health intervention in general practices serving socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in northern England | Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

Wider determinants of health (Care DEEP)

P66 Addressing wider determinants of health within deep end general practices serving communities experiencing high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage: the CareDEEP initiative | Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

Dementia risk prediction

Exploring the Views of Key Stakeholders on Dementia Risk Prediction in Areas of Socioeconomic Deprivation: A Qualitative Study | British Journal of General Practice

Read more

Find out more about the beginnings of the Deep End GP Network in the North East and North Cumbria

Visit the Deep End NENC website