Northern Health Futures (NortHFutures)

Overview

Northern Health Futures (NortHFutures)  aims to address unmet health needs, inequalities, and digital exclusion in the North East and North Cumbria NHS ICB (NENC) region. NortHFutures is a people-powered research programme that provides opportunities for everyone to engage in digital health and health-tech initiatives.

Six regional universities, including Newcastle University, seven regional NHS Foundation Trusts and over 50 core partners across industry, health and care and public and voluntary sectors are working together to deliver the programme. NICRE has been involved in the programme from the outset.

Digital Health and Care in Rural Communities

Residents and communities in rural areas face specific issues in relation to digital connectivity and access to health and care. The Government 10-Year health plan, Fit for the Future, acknowledges the need for tailored service offers to deliver personalised, coordinated care in rural communities, while the North East and North Cumbria Infrastructure Strategy 2024-2034 recognises disparities in health outcomes across rural, remote, and socioeconomically deprived areas.

As part of our contribution to the NortHFutures programme, NICRE is developing an open access module for our Innovation Portal to highlight best practice, share case studies and give recommendations for addressing some of these challenges.

The project will:

Demonstrate real-world examples of how digital tools and technologies have already been successfully deployed to improve access, experience and health outcomes in rural communities.
Increase awareness and understanding of technical and social barriers to realising the potential of digital health in rural communities, and the role that researchers, clinicians, policy makers and community organisations can play in addressing these barriers.
Develop a network of people with an interest in rural development, digital and/or health and care, and blueprints for collaborative and place-sensitive design and implementation of digital health products and initiatives.

Project event - November 2025

As part of the Digital Health and Care in Rural Communities project, we held a regional event at Hexham racecourse, bringing together stakeholders from across health and care services, VCSE, residents and academia. Speakers shared their experiences of living and working in rural communities, and brought to life considerations for developing and implementing digital health and care in this context.

During workshops we discussed opportunities, challenges and solutions to make digital work as part of a coordinated health and care offer in rural places. Emerging recommendations included:

We need to keep human connection at the heart of improving access and outcomes.
Opportunities in digital screening, AI, and telehealth and care can reduce travel and overcome barriers to access for rural residents, positively impacting outcomes.
However, not all healthcare can work digitally — there needs to be sensitivity to what is appropriate.
Equity goes beyond connectivity, there is a wide spectrum and type of need.
Digital literacy and adoption need tailored, trust-based, human-first support.
In deep rural areas, reaching a few people can transform whole communities; funding should reflect this amplified impact.
Researchers and policy-makers need to work in partnership with communities in order to design and implement digital health and care solutions that work in a rural context

Watch a video round up of the event

Click on the links below to view presentations from the workshop.

Event introduction and workshop questions - Melanie Thompson-Glen and Sarah Best, NICRE Deep rural contexts - Caroline Clarke, Church and Community Partnership Tynedale The Impact of the Digital Era on Eye Health and An Eyecare Pathway fit for the future - Lesley Oglethorpe and Naomi Smith Supporting digital transition for the rural care workforce - Dann Riach, Belle Vie Northumberland Telecare - Chris Steele, Northumberland County Council Early diagnosis of cancer for people in rural areas: digital connectivity and exclusion - Dr Christina Dobson Rural community support – employability, wellbeing and digital inclusion

Next steps

Throughout this project we want to keep building a network of people interested in supporting the development of appropriate rural digital health and care solutions and helping inform best practice and policy. If you have case-studies or insights you would like to contribute, we would love to hear from you.

Please email nicre@newcastle.ac.uk to find out more or be kept informed of this and other projects and events.