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Background
 
Cumberland Council has recently been
successful in the application to become an ‘Health
Determinants Research Collaboration’ (HDRC), an initiative
funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research
(NIHR). HDRCs are partnerships based in local government, which aim
to make research happen in local authorities, with research led by
local authorities. This will involve Cumberland Council becoming
the Accountable Body for this work.
 
The HDRC is due to go live from 1 January
2024. However, with the formal announcement of the HDRC on 29th
November, and Cumberland Council being under embargo until this
date, this could not be published on the Forward Plan in time for
the decision regarding acting as the Accountable Body to be on the
agenda for the Executive for 15th December. As such this decision
has been taken under urgency procedures. The key rationale for
using the urgency procedure is that a delay would seriously
prejudice the legal or financial position of the Council or the
interests of the Members of the Public of the Council’s
area.
 
Decision Taken
 
To enter into an agreement with the National
Institute for Health and Care Research to be the Accountable Body
for the Cumberland Health Determinants Research Centre.