Active Older People: Promoting Healthy Life Expectancy (APPHLE)
A team of academics, clinicians, commissioners and older people, working together to improve activity and health in later life.
Physical activity has the potential to improve health and wellbeing throughout an individual's life. In middle-aged and older people, physical activity helps individuals maintain their physical and mental function and reduces their risk of physical and mental diseases. Sedentary behaviour dramatically increases health risk in older people and disproportionately affects people with low socio-economic status, leading to health inequalities.
Latest news and events
Bristol Research Forum on Ageing
30 September 2021
Two-topic special: Home-based reablement and third sector research supportBristol Research Forum on Ageing presents the latest research on reablement and research support for the voluntary sector. In this student-led special, they will share the latest re...
New option for how people with COVID-19 are cared for on NHS wards
30 August 2021
A new protocol for prone positioning — a technique commonly used to treat COVID-19 patients in respiratory distress by turning them on to their front to increase oxygen flow to the lungs, is published in the Journal of Frailty and Aging. Researchers fro...
APPHLE HIT's achievements of 2020-21
20 July 2021
Directors of the Active People Promoting Healthy Life Expectancy (APPHLE) HIT Karen Lloyd and Professor Charlie Foster provide an update on the HIT’s work in 2020/21. Last year APPHLE HIT partnered with Active Ageing Bristol/Age UK Bristol and Bristol...
Bristol Walk Fest 2021 celebrates successes
24 June 2021
Bristol Walk Fest adapted its programme of walks for 2021 to make more available online and to download for free via the walking app Go Jauntly, encouraging Bristolians to get out safely with friends and family and reconnect with their city after lockdown...
The importance of ‘Information About Me’: understanding the hidden causes of delays in discharging frail older people from hospital
8 June 2021
Delays in discharging older people living with frailty from hospital are caused by a complex range of factors, but a key factor is how medical and social information about patients becomes fragmented during their stay. This is the conclusion of a study in...
Bristol Walk Fest 2021 - One of the UK's largest urban celebrations of walking with events throughout May
30 April 2021
The month-long Bristol Walk Fest is underway this May with a ‘one stop shop’ website of walking in Bristol featuring an impressive variety of walking routes, groups, information and competitions. This year, Bristol Walk Fest has adapted its program...
Bristol Walk Fest returns in May with a COVID-19 secure edition
25 February 2021
Bristol Walk Fest will return from May 1 to 31 2021 with a COVID-19 secure edition offering digital excursions, signposts to a variety of walking routes and activities, step-counting incentives and, it is hoped, a choice of guided and themed walks caterin...
New Bristol walking app is looking for local contributions
2 February 2021
The Bristol City Council Sustainable Transport team are partnering with Age UK Bristol to launch a free walking app at the end of April. There will be a new Bristol section on an already established app called Go Jauntly. The app includes other areas ac...
'Information About Me' campaign launched to help older people leave hospital when ready
16 November 2020
A new campaign to support older people with frailty admitted to hospital in an emergency has launched today. Many people worry about the possibility of an emergency hospital admission, and the coronavirus pandemic will be heightening these concerns. The ...
International call to action to enable everyone, everywhere to be physically active
11 November 2020
Researchers from NIHR ARC West and the University of Bristol have contributed to the International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) ‘Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity‘, released today. The #8Investments is a concise roa...
Bristol Ageing Better programme extended
10 November 2020
Thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, the Bristol Ageing Better programme has secured an extension to continue working across the city to make Bristol a more inclusive place for older people. The success of the programme is down to the dedicated...
Bristol University looking for people to participate in walking and retirement study
5 November 2020
Researchers at University of Bristol are looking to speak to men and women who are close to retirement age, or who have recently retired, who do not currently do a lot of walking, to understand what would make it easier for them to walk more often. They a...
HIT Conference goes virtual to address the impact of COVID-19 and wider health inequalities
20 October 2020
Bristol Health Partners held its annual Health Integration Team (HIT) Conference as an entirely virtual event this year because of the pandemic. The event, “COVID-19 Call to Action: What else can we achieve in health and social care?”, took place b...
COVID-19 has highlighted the inadequate, and unequal, access to high quality green spaces
11 September 2020
Professor Selena Gray is Co-Director of our Active People: Promoting Healthy Life Expectancy (APPHLE) HIT and a Professor of Public Health at the University of West of England (UWE). She is the co-author of this blog which was first published as a bmj opi...
APPHLE HIT Co-Director shares tips on walking routes in and around Bristol
22 June 2020
Karen Lloyd, Co-Director of our Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT) and Bristol manager for Active Ageing has shared her recommendations for walking routes in and around Bristol.There have been more people embracing the opportunity to...
Active Older People (APPHLE) HIT review for 2019-20
4 May 2020
Professor Selena Gray and Karen Lloyd-Pyrke, Directors of the Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT), give an update on their work in 2019/20. Last year we completed the REtirement in ACTion (REACT) study, a community, group-based...
Local charity Above & Beyond will continue to support three HITs
17 February 2020
Three of Bristol Health Partners (BHP) Health Integration Teams (HITs) will receive a further £30,000 in funding from Above & Beyond to help improve the health and quality of life of Bristol communities. In 2019, Above & Beyond secured independent...
APPHLE HIT work leads to over 8,000 older people becoming more active
6 November 2019
Our Active Older People HIT and Active Ageing Bristol (AAB) are delivering the basis for a ‘prevention at scale’ programme through initiatives that help older people to be less isolated and to increase physical strength and mobility through combined fitn...
Bristol Health Partners supports photographic celebration of active living
22 August 2019
Photographs showing that age is no barrier to active living are on free outdoor display on Bristol’s College Green in August, as part of a new drive to persuade older people to make bolder keep fit choices.
2018-19 highlights from the Active Older People (APPHLE) HIT
16 May 2019
Professor Selena Gray and Karen Lloyd, Directors of the Active Older People Health Integration Team, give an update on their work in 2018-19.
HITs carers event offers information and support
13 May 2019
Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Teams (HITs) ran an event in April for ‘informal’ carers who provide substantial, unpaid care and support for family members or friends.
Bristol Health Partners to invest £176k in its Health Integration Teams
13 May 2019
Health Integration Teams (HITs) are set to benefit from £176k of investment from Bristol Health Partners in 2019-20. HITs requested funding from the partnership for a wide variety of projects, with the majority receiving funding.
Health and social care commissioners hear about HITs at special seminar
17 February 2019
Health and social care commissioners came together at City Hall for a special seminar to hear about the work of Health Integration Teams, attended by over 60 people.
Study finds community-based physical activities for older adults are suitable following joint replacement
28 January 2019
A study commissioned by the Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT) has found that community-based physical activities for older people are suitable for those who've had a joint replacement.
HITs with a focus on healthy, safe environments get together for a networking breakfast
12 October 2018
On Wednesday 3 October, Health Integration Teams (HITs) with a focus on healthy, safe environments got together for a networking breakfast at Lifeskills at the CREATE Centre in South Bristol.
Health Integration Teams secure nearly £1.5 million in the first quarter of 2018/19
24 September 2018
Bristol Health Integration Teams (HITs) have secured £1,438,000 of funding in the first quarter of 2018/19. This impressive contribution to the local health and care system is the result of efforts from a range of HITs.
Innovative research into the link between the urban environment and health urgently needed
6 September 2018
Researchers are calling for more innovative studies into the link between changes to urban neighbourhoods and their impact on residents’ mental health and wellbeing. The research team at the University of Bristol and NIHR CLAHRC West reviewed existing st...
Health Integration Teams attract nearly £4.7 million in 2017-18
15 June 2018
Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Teams (HITs) have attracted nearly £4.7 million in funding to the local health system in 2017-18.
2017-18 highlights from the Active Older People (APPHLE) HIT
2 May 2018
Professor Selena Gray, Director of the Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT), gives an update on their work in 2017-18.
Seminar on supporting service design and delivery showcases HIT achievements
7 February 2018
Five Health Integration Teams (HITs) presented their work aimed at keeping people out of hospital at a special lunchtime seminar on 5 February, to commissioners, project managers, researchers and people from the voluntary sector.
Joint Spatial Plan must address public health issues, Bristol Health Partners urges
17 January 2018
The Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) is a rare opportunity to plan for a healthier future for the West of England, but Bristol Health Partners believes that the latest version of the plan doesn’t address public health issues strongly enough.
HIT events stir debate at Healthy City Week 2017
8 November 2017
Creating a Bristol that works for people of all ages and abilities was at the core of Health Integration Team (HIT) events during Healthy City Week this year. Healthy City Week ran from 7-14 October, and included ‘HIT Monday’, as well as other HIT events...
How can we solve Bristol’s trickiest health and sustainability problems?
2 October 2017
Zoe Trinder-Widdess, Bristol Health Partners Communications Manager, on some of the Health Integration Team highlights from this year's Healthy City Week, which takes place 7-14 October 2017.
South Gloucestershire diabetes prevention pilot project poster win
7 July 2017
A poster showcasing the Active Older People (APPHLE) Health Integration Team (HIT) project evaluating the South Gloucestershire diabetes prevention pilot won best poster at the Faculty of Public Health annual conference and expo on 21-22 June 2017.
Active Older People HIT's achievements in 2016-7
8 May 2017
Professor Selena Gray and Dr Afroditi Stathi, Directors of the Active Older People Health Integration Team give an update on their work in 2016-2017.
HITs bring nearly £4m in funding to the region in last nine months
27 March 2017
Health Integration Teams (HITs) have brought £3,988,121 of funding to the region since July 2016. Some of these awards are for research, while others are for service innovation.
Bristol Health Partners and Health Integration Teams' contribution to Healthy City Week
14 September 2016
This year's Healthy City Week Bristol (15-22 October) will see a strong contribution from Bristol Health Partner organisations and Health Integration Teams (HITs). Not only is Bristol Health Partners the headline supporter for the week, but we are offeri...
Challenging the HITs to collaborate in new ways with Bristol Health Partnerology
13 July 2016
At the annual Health Integration Team (HIT) conference this year, HITs were challenged to find new ways to collaborate in the specially created Bristol Health Partner-opoly walking game.
Health Integration Team model evaluation paper published
1 July 2016
The results of NIHR CLAHRC West's preliminary evaluation of the ‘Health Integration Team’ model have been published in BMC Health Services Research.
Our 2015-16 annual review is out now
27 June 2016
Our 2015-16 annual review was launched at our annual Health Integration Team (HIT) conference on 17 June. The Bristol Health Partners annual review showcases the work of the partnership and includes updates from most of our 20 HITs and a round-up of the...
Achievements of the Active Older People HIT in 2015-16
31 May 2016
Professor Selena Gray and Dr Afroditi Stathi, Directors of the Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT) give an update on their work in 2015-16.
Bristol’s health experts come out in support of 20mph speed limits
15 March 2016
Bristol’s health and care community are showing their support for the city’s 20mph speed limits as the council debates the issue today (15 March). A public petition supporting the speed limits, which received more than 4,100 signatures from people in Bri...
Joint Health Integration Team response to West of England joint spatial plan
17 February 2016
Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Teams (HITs) have made a joint response to the West of England's joint spatial plan consultation. In response to housing pressure in the Avon sub-region, the area’s four local authorities, Bristol, North Somer...
South Gloucestershire diabetes prevention project launched
12 February 2016
The Public Health and Wellbeing Division in South Gloucestershire Council is running a pilot project aimed at supporting people aged up to 75-years-old, at high risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Pioneering study to help adults delay frailty and live independently for longer
11 January 2016
A major study, led by researchers from the Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT), has launched aiming to help older people stay fitter and live independently for longer.
Active Older People HIT review of 2014-15
26 May 2015
Professor Selena Gray and Dr Afroditi Stathi, Directors of the Active Older People Health Integration Team (APPHLE HIT) give an update on their work in 2014-15.
Active older people (APPHLE) HIT given go ahead
3 March 2014
A new Health Integration Team (HIT) looking at improving activity and health in later life has been approved by Bristol Health Partners.
