£22m collaboration will turn London health research into frontline improvements

A new £22 million research partnership has been launched to address health inequalities and develop practical responses to pressures facing NHS, public health and social care services across London.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration for London brings together 20 clinical, academic and community organisations from across the capital. It will conduct applied research intended to move beyond academic findings and produce measurable improvements in services and patient care.

The programme is hosted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and jointly led by Professor Laura Shallcross of University College London and Professor Ingrid Wolfe of King’s College London. Dr Ana Luisa Neves of Imperial College London will serve as deputy director.

Its work will be organised around four themes. These include strengthening links between neighbourhood services and community support, improving prevention and early intervention, supporting workforce productivity and economic growth, and using data science, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve healthcare decisions.

Reducing inequalities will run across the programme, with researchers expected to prioritise work shaped by and involving London’s most underserved communities. Patients, local residents and people working across health and care services will be invited to help determine its priorities.

Professor Shallcross said the partnership created an opportunity to address some of society’s most significant health challenges by working directly with patients, communities and professionals. Professor Wolfe said the collaboration could deliver research that genuinely improves outcomes for patients and the public.

The London partnership will also work with the other 10 NIHR Applied Research Collaborations in England, allowing evidence, expertise and successful approaches developed in the capital to be shared nationally.

Its contract began on 1 July 2026 and will run until 31 March 2031. The programme’s success will ultimately depend on whether its research can be translated into changes that staff and patients experience directly, particularly in communities where poor health outcomes and pressure on services are greatest.

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