What we do
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Older People and Frailty Policy Research Unit (PRU) aims to produce timely, high quality evidence for policymakers.
We are a collaboration between the University of Manchester, Newcastle University and the London School of Economics. Our aims are to answer policymakers’ questions and help the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to make informed decisions about the lives of older people.
We carry out research into promoting healthy ageing, the future needs of older people and the provision of high-quality, cost effective care.
The Older People and Frailty Policy Research Unit is funded by the NIHR. We are one of 15 NIHR Policy Research Units currently in operation. You can see a full list on the NIHR website.
Projects
Learn about our work in specific areas of health and care for older people.
Rapid responses
See our responses to requests from the Department of Health and Social Care and other bodies.
COVID-19 research
View our research into the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare for older people.
Themes and methods
Learn about our research themes and the methods we use in our projects.
Get involved
Input from older people is important in all of our research projects.
View current opportunities to get involved in our work, and find out about opportunities with other organisations.
Meet the team
Our team comprises research and administration staff from The University of Manchester, Newcastle University and the London School of Economics.
Chris Todd
Director of Policy Research Unit (Manchester) and Theme Lead for Ageing, Frailty and End-of-Life-Care
Barbara Hanratty
Deputy Director of Policy Research Unit (Newcastle) and Theme Lead for Long Term Care
Martin Knapp
Assistant Director of Policy Research Unit (London School of Economics)

Contact us
Get in touch if you’d like to know more.
If you would like to ask any questions about our work, please get in touch:
Email: pru-manager@manchester.ac.uk
Thank you to the Centre for Ageing Better for images used, taken from their age positive image library.
The views expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department of Health and Social Care or its arm’s length bodies, and other government departments.