Current projects

Evaluation of the implementation of the UK Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

This project will evaluate the implementation of the UK's National Action Plan and aims to contribute to the development of future AMR policy.

Psychological support for individuals historically infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C as a result of NHS-supplied blood transfusions and blood products and affected families

This study aims to better understand what people think about psychological, counselling and wellbeing services provided to survivors and relatives of individuals who became infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C as a result of treatment with NHS blood/ blood products.

Improving NHS England’s system for collecting data on long-COVID patients and services

The aim of the project is to contribute to NHS England's emerging post-COVID syndrome data system by learning from efforts to compile post-COVID treatment data in other countries and from the experience of other disease registers in the UK.

Evaluation of changes to organ donation legislation in England

The law on organ donation has changed in England and now it is presumed that people will donate their organs after their death unless they have indicated they do not wish to do so. PIRU will evaluate the impact of the change in the law.

Public attitudes towards, and use of, Covid-19 contact tracing apps

Contract tracing apps on smartphones are part of the government’s test and trace system for controlling the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK. PIRU is carrying out a longitudinal study looking at public attitudes towards, and use of, the NHS contract tracing app.

Innovation in service organisation and delivery: learning from international experiences

In the context of developing Integrated Care Systems in England, this project examines similar service innovations in other European countries in order to better understand the factors that promote or hinder their implementation and sustainability.

Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer Programme

This programme aims to improve the services and support available to children and young people with mental health problems by enhancing provisions within school and college settings. PIRU, in collaboration with the BRACE Centre, carried out a two-stage evaluation of the programme.

Food provision in early years’ settings in England

Variation in food provision in early childcare settings is likely to lead to differences in nutritional health for children aged under 5. PIRU’s study will look at the role of early years settings in food provision and nutrition and at inequalities in access to healthy food for young children.

Preferences for paying for long term care for older people

There is a lack of understanding among the general population about how the current social care system is organised and funded. This project aims to look at public attitudes to different options for funding social care in England, using focus groups and a nationally representative survey.

Integrated Care Pioneers evaluation

The national programme of Integrated Care Pioneers aimed to stimulate greater partnership working across the NHS and local government in order to integrate health, social care and other public services. PIRU has been evaluating health and social care integration in the 25 Pioneer sites since 2013.

Improving evaluation methods

PIRU undertakes methodological projects to contribute to the development of better methods for policy and programme evaluation. For example, we have examined the challenge posed by the potential for selection bias when using quasi-experimental evaluation designs. We also look more widely at how decisions about the organisation of pilots has implications for the role of evaluation.