PhD project summary:
City and Hackney, though geographically closeboroughs, are home to communities with very different health experiences. Hackney is a lively, young, and diverse area, but many residents face poverty, housing problems, and other social disadvantages. These challenges often begin early in life and continue as people age, leading to persistent inequalities in how long and how well people live. The City of London, despite its wealth and small resident population, has hidden inequalities too — such as high levels of homelessness, mental health needs, and differences between neighbourhoods.
The new NHS 10-Year Plan focuses on shifting care away from hospitals and toward community-based services. This approach brings together doctors, pharmacists, mental health professionals, social care staff, and others to work in Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) based in neighbourhood health centres. In City and Hackney, the Neighbourhoods programme began in 2018. It connects residents, voluntary organisations, and local health and care services across eight neighbourhoods, each serving 30,000–50,000 people. The goal is to tackle local priorities and reduce health inequalities. A key feature of this approach is involving residents directly, through neighbourhood forums and community input. The City and Hackney Population Health Hub (C&H PHH) was created in 2021 to help partners improve health and reduce inequalities. It follows the King’s Fund Population Health model, which recognises that many influences on health lie outside healthcare—such as housing, employment, and social conditions. The Hub’s current focus is to use the new national NHS policy on neighbourhoods as an opportunity to deepen prevention and equality work in City and Hackney. It is developing training, guidance, and tools to support local staff and stakeholders.
This PhD project will explore how City and Hackney’s neighbourhood model can adapt to fit the new national NHS framework while keeping its strong focus on community engagement. It aims to understand the challenges and opportunities of linking national policy with local, community-driven practice. The research will focus on how to ensure that residents’ voices remain central, and that prevention and inclusion continue to guide local health improvement. The project has four main aims:
1)To study how the local neighbourhood model adapts to national policy changes.
2)To understand the challenges of applying national policy in a community-led setting.
3)To examine the role of community engagement in interpreting and shaping policy.
4)To identify ways to strengthen equity, transparency, and resident participation in local health improvement.
A community steering group of 5–8 residents will guide the research. Data will be collected through (i) analysis of policy documents, (ii) interviews with key stakeholders, and (iii) a participatory case study in City and Hackney, using observation together with community members. The research will create new knowledge about how national policies can be implemented locally in ways that promote fairness and community empowerment. It will produce practical recommendations for councils and health systems on how to embed resident participation and equity into policy adaptation. The study will also help community organisations build skills to influence and take part in policy development.
Supervisor(s):
Sara Paparini: s.paparini@qmul.ac.uk
Megan Clinch: m.clinch@qmul.ac.uk
CASE non-academic partner: City of London & London Borough of Hackney Population Health Hub: https://cityhackneyhealth.org.uk/about-us/city-and-hackney-population-health-hub-phh/
LISS Institution: Queen Mary University of London, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Wolfson Institute of Population Health
PhD Programme: PhD FT Wolfson Institute (Non-Clinical)
Full-time / Part-time: Either
1+3.5 or +3.5 studentship: Either
Fee Eligibility: Home & International eligible (UKRI eligibility guidance)
How to apply:
To apply, please complete and return the documents below to the project supervisor(s) directly:
- LISS DTP CASE application form
- Academic transcripts
- References
- Additional information as stipulated in the CASE project listing
Additionally, all applicants must complete:
- LISS DTP Diversity Monitoring Form (online)
- QMUL PhD admissions application: PhD FT Wolfson Institute (Non-Clinical)
Closing date for applications: 16th February 2026
Interviews date: from 9th March 2026