Public Health Wales Research and Evaluation Strategy 2023-2026 - Section 3 A Look Back at Research and Evaluation
During the COVID-19 pandemic and afterwards, Public Health Wales conducted research and evaluation which has helped with the response and recovery efforts by providing valuable knowledge that could be put into practice.
Supported by Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW) funding, the Public Health Wales Research and Development (R&D) Office provided a central function in supporting research and evaluation activity across Public Health Wales by identifying research opportunities and providing advice and support for research and evaluation
A shared research agenda with partners
Across Public Health Wales, we work in partnership with academic and a range of research partners to strengthen population health research and evaluation.
Examples include:
A One-Wales approach to COVID-19 research
A collaboration between Public Health Wales (Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Chris Williams), Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Health and Care Research Wales (HRCW), and the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University, resulted in participation in the phase II/III of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trial sponsored by the University of Oxford.
The Public Health Wales R&D Office in partnership with HCRW provided strategic oversight and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine research trials delivered in Wales.
Public Health Wales worked with the UK Health Security Agency and HCRW to deliver the Urgent Public Health study SIREN (SARS-CoV2 Immunity & REinfection EvaluatioN).
Research to understand the impact of COVID-19
- Con-COVID was a partnership between Public Health Wales’ Health Protection Services and the SAIL Databank at Swansea University to create a data platform for enhanced population surveillance and evaluation of interventions including vaccine surveillance and inequalities
- The Networked Data Lab Wales and National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research – two partnerships with Public Health Wales and others including Swansea University undertook research to understand the impact of COVID-19 on different populations such as unpaid carers and on the impact of working from home.
- Public Health Wales funded a collaborative research grant between Cwm Taf University Health Board and Sheffield Hallam University to understand and address the barriers and facilitators for influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake among NHS employees in Wales
The use of genomics to understand COVID-19
The work of Public Health Wales’ genomics researchers led to Wales becoming a global leader in COVID-19 genomics.
Their work fed into a £20M project led by the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium.
Research with and about under represented groups
A partnership with Swansea University funded by Health and Care Research Wales to understand the Health Experiences of Asylum seekers and Refugees (HEAR 2) has made policy recommendations for the commissioning and delivery of interpretation services in Wales, benefiting patients, the public, and the NHS.
Research by the Wales Violence Prevention Unit and the University of Exeter about Bystander Experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse during COVID-19 indicated that people are more likely to take action against domestic abuse and its warning signs if they feel connected to their community.
The development of a culture of evaluation within the organisation
A Central Evaluation Team within Public Health Wales has been established to:
- Develop an evaluation community of practice to share best practice and support others to develop evaluation skills and capabilities across the organisation
- Work to set standards of practice for evaluation and improve technical knowledge and skills
- Undertake robust, independent evaluation of Public Health Wales’ core high priority programmes, or those delivered by partners, that require organisational independence
- Work with everyone to understand the importance and need for evaluation and involve evaluation experts early in design interventions
Evaluation underway across Public Health Wales
Public Health Wales and Swansea University Trials Unit are working in partnership to evaluate the All-Wales Diabetes Prevention Programme through a process and outcomes evaluation.
Page last reviewed: 18th June 2026