About DERA

The DERA ethos

Our work indicates that building trust between patients, communities, their practitioners and institutions is essential in building inclusive research with underserved communities. 

Origins of the Deep End Movement

The ‘Deep End’ (DE) movement originated in Glasgow, aimed at addressing the Inverse Care Law identified by Tudor Hart more than 50 years ago. Work began as formal and informal networks of general practices working together with patients and communities. 

The movement has spread, with ongoing DE research programmes running across the world, highlighting the stark disparities in resource allocation and health outcomes in primary care, which are linked to socioeconomic deprivation. 

How the South Yorkshire Deep End Research Alliance began

In 2016, The University of Sheffield's Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care (AUPMC) supported the development of the Sheffield Deep End cluster to enable the delivery of NIHR Clinical Research within 9 GP surgeries in Sheffield most marginalised communities.  Alongside the research cluster, the Deep End Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) was established with patients from the Deep End GP Surgeries.

This collaboration became known as The Deep End Research Alliance (DERA).

Expansion of DERA

Since 2019, DERA's reach has expanded across South Yorkshire, with collaborative grant-funded (NIHR, RCUK, RCGP)  interdisciplinary work, supporting the wider inclusion of community groups for example,  SACMHA , Shipshape  and  Roma community organisations and advocates. We are also active contributors to the NIHR Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion Yorkshire Humber group, (EMRI).