Following the success of the centrally funded Winter Access Fund in 2021/22, NHS Sussex directly funded several projects to support with winter pressures during 2022/23. Unity Insights were commissioned to evaluate four projects; Winter Fund, ARI Paediatric Hubs, Care Homes Advice Line, and Paramedic Home Visits.
After an initial and intense period of engagement with the different programme leads across several different organisation, a mixed methods evaluation was undertaken on all projects. This included quantitative analysis of both project data and of national trend data, qualitative surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative and qualitative findings were used to develop health economic analyses to understand the projects from a value for money standpoint, and the process and outcome results were compared with those from 2021/22.
Outputs included four individual project reports and an overarching report, an infographic, and two case studies.
The findings were welcomed by NHS Sussex, and Unity Insights were invited to present findings to the management team. NHS Sussex are currently using the evaluation findings to inform planning for 2023/24 as well as looking more widely at how to utilise lessons learned for future winter funding programmes.
“We have engaged Unity Insights to provide us with an evaluation of the impact we have been able to have on GP appointment numbers following allocation of the year’s Winter Fund. Through regular engagement we were able to work together and we found them to be responsive to our requirements and able to deliver to agreed timescales. Their evaluation has provided us with sufficient detail and depth to inform planning purposes for 23/24, taking into consideration lessons learnt from 22/23.”
Hugo Luck, Associate Director of Primary Care and Deputy Winter SRO, NHS Sussex
