Abi Collins – PhD Student

Our March EDI event was centred on ‘Managing Microaggressions’ and featured Amandeep Doll, the Director of England for the Royal College of Pharmacy and a registered pharmacist. Microaggressions are verbal, non-verbal, and environmental slights, snubs and insults that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages and behaviours that target someone based on a protected characteristic or belong to a marginalised group – whether intentional or intentional.

Amandeep began by explaining how building diversity (different identities allow for diversity in perspectives and opinions), inclusion (the thoughts and perspectives of all matter, including being proactive to make sure everyone’s included), and equity (consistently and constantly recognising and redistributing power) can help create a sense of belonging where everyone feels welcome, and innovation thrives through the integration of different views, beliefs, and values.

Amandeep encouraged us, as audience members, to consider the possible impacts and consequences of microaggressions. For example, the impact if people are not made to feel welcome they may feel the need to change how they act, such as women needing to ‘man up’ or somebody hiding their accent to try and be taken seriously. Authenticity was deemed as key to seeing the whole person for who they are and allowing them to be themselves and feel included. Amandeep advocated that having representation in the ‘decision-making rooms’ could ensure that policies reflect the people they affect and to improve diversity, inclusion, and equity moving forward.

Microaggressions can be difficult to deal with mentally if they’re not obvious and explicit, or they can be passed off as a joke or somebody ‘didn’t mean it like that’ making someone doubt themselves as to whether they’ve faced discriminatory behaviour. They can lead to disengagement, loss of rapport, and left unchallenged an organisation may then make decisions based on bias which can contribute to poor culture and bad pharmacy practice. Considering our own unconscious (and conscious) biases was championed, along with a message of aiming to ‘meet people and patients where they’re at’ to help them get the care they need at that time.

Amandeep also shared examples of microaggressions regarding gender – for instance, she discussed how stereotypical assumptions around primary caregivers being female should be tackled, as well as offering lived-experience examples of female colleagues being told to ‘calm down, you’re being too emotional’. For age, examples of microaggressions included being dismissed for ‘not having enough experience’ (even when you do), being spoken to in a way which indicates you don’t understand something because you’re older, or ‘they haven’t been qualified very long, what did they do to get that job then?’.

Disability was highlighted as the biggest barrier to working in Pharmacy in a recent Royal College of Pharmacy survey, and people often did not want to disclose their disability status due to concerns about whether they would receive appropriate support and worries over peoples’ perceptions of only seeing a disability not them as a whole person. The example of someone saying ‘you don’t look disabled, you look so normal!’ was shared.

In the recent survey, over a third of LGBTQIA+ staff reported hiding their identity at work and one in five LGBTQIA+ people had not disclosed this to a healthcare professional for fear of discrimination. Examples of microaggressions around assuming a person’s gender or pronouns, gossiping or debating someone’s sexuality behind their back based on how they look, or hearing ‘it’s such a waste that you’re not straight’ had been reported in the survey.

Amandeep also reminded us that discrimination against race is racism, including through microaggressions – with an example being whether someone was subject to more criticism compared to their white counterparts, or making assumptions that the white person is the most senior in the room. It could sound like ‘where are you from? No, where are you really from’ or ‘your name is hard to pronounce, can we change it to ___?’

To finish, Amandeep encouraged attendees to consider when and how we could take action to tackle microaggressions. She offered suggestions around: 1) Recognising microaggressions – some more easy to spot than others. 2) Deciding on an action – consider the implications, check in with the person affected to see what they’re comfortable with and consider the impact of silence. And 3) making a conscious effort to be microaffirmative – by learning colleagues names and how to pronounce them, showing an interest in their thoughts and opinions, showing appreciation for colleagues’ talents and successes as well as validating their experiences. Amandeep encouraged us become aware of our own biases and confront them, be an ally, and (if comfortable) feel empowered to be an active bystander.

This was a fantastic session to share with staff and students in the Newcastle School of Pharmacy and the NIHR Newcastle PSRC, as well as others from across the wider Newcastle University organisation and local NHS trusts. The event gave us all a lot to take forward into our future work to advocate for making our places, spaces and work much more inclusive and welcoming. Thank you, Amandeep, for a brilliant session!

Pictured left to right – Dr Anna Robinson-Barella, Amandeep Doll, Dr Matt Cooper

What could the future of hospital-level care at home look like, supported by advanced technology and real-time information?

Watch our video, developed in collaboration with and led by our Patient and Public Advisory Group, to learn more about our current research and future vision.

You can also find out more by visiting our blog and linked publications here.

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The annual NIHR Doctoral Training Camp brings together promising doctoral students from across the health and care research landscape for an intensive, collaborative deep-dive into the realities of securing future funding and shaping independent research pathways.

PhD students Faiza Yahya, Lauren Lawson, Jessica McCann and Liyuan Zhu recently joined this year’s cohort on 7th-9th July in Hinckley, tackling collaborative challenges, pitch simulations, and expert masterclasses. Here, in their own words, they share their personal highlights, key takeaways, and honest reflections on what the experience meant for their evolving careers:

“I remember looking at stressed academics when they have a grant application deadline approaching, as they try to shut off from the world to get this done in time. The stress, the late nights, the extra time put in around their already busy schedule, only to then get a rejection after rejection. That was enough to put me off and terrify me from ever wanting to put together a grant application! I didn’t think that would all change by attending the NIHR Doctoral Training Camp 2026. As the camp started, I remember feeling like I was on ‘The Apprentice’, I thought “what have I let myself into!?”.  24-hours to meet a whole new team of diverse backgrounds, figure out a research question, make multiple appointments with experts (methodologists, statisticians, PPIE contributors, finance, directors) to then write a competitive application for half a million pounds, and submit this by a 5pm deadline. Not only that but present this to a tough panel the next day. Easy right?! I must say that this was one of the best experiences I have ever attended, and I was fortunate to have such a lovely team and mentor, that made this a success. I was really shocked to hear that out of 10 very good teams and projects; we won the award for best application! My key takeaways from the experience were the importance of a good team, collaboration with different expertise and great mentorship are valuable, as well as active leadership and planning. We had embedded PPIE and inclusivity throughout the project which drove and shaped the application, and we were already thinking about future applications. I am very grateful to the NIHR for creating such useful opportunities for us early career researchers and NIHR Newcastle PSRC for nominating me to attend.”

– Faiza Yahya, PhD student

“I was honoured to attend the 17th NIHR Doctoral Research Training Camp. The three-day programme provided an intensive and highly rewarding opportunity to develop essential research funding skills while collaborating with doctoral researchers from a wide range of disciplines across the UK. A key challenge of the training camp was to work in newly formed multidisciplinary teams to develop a fictitious NIHR research funding application worth £500,000 within just 24 hours. From identifying an important research question and designing an appropriate methodology to considering  PPIE, budgeting, anticipated outputs, and research impact, the exercise closely reflected the complexities of preparing a competitive funding proposal.”

“Working alongside researchers from diverse academic backgrounds highlighted the value of interdisciplinary collaboration. Although developing ideas within a newly formed team inevitably involved different perspectives and constructive debate, the experience reinforced the importance of effective communication, teamwork, and shared problem-solving in addressing complex healthcare challenges. I am sincerely grateful to the Newcastle PSRC for providing this excellent opportunity, from which I learned from experienced researchers and fellow delegates, and the knowledge, skills, and connections gained will undoubtedly support my future research career.”

– Liyuan Zhu, PhD Student

“Thank you to the NIHR academy for such an informative and challenging doctoral camp. It was fun to see familiar faces and meet fellow doctoral students from across the NIHR infrastructure. Although at times stressful, the camp was eye-opening and offered valuable insight into what a future career in academia entails.”

– Jessica McCann, PhD Student

“Attending the NIHR Doctoral Training Camp was an opportunity to connect and collaborate with PhD students from across different branches of the NIHR infrastructure. As my research sits within the theme of safer integrated health and social care environments in the NIHR Newcastle PSRC, it was great to see such a strong emphasis on the importance of social care research throughout the busy 3-day programme. I also valued the focus on lived experience and realist approaches, both of which are central to my PhD and public engagement activities with unpaid carers. The event was a well-timed opportunity to learn from others, share perspectives and reflect on how diverse areas of research can come together to address complex challenges in health and care.”

– Lauren Lawson, PhD Student

Pictured left to right – Lauren Lawson, Faiza Yahya, Liyuan Zhu, Jessica McCann

Martha’s Rule was introduced by NHS England in April 2024 after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021, who developed sepsis in hospital following a pancreatic injury. A coroner later ruled she would likely have survived had she been moved to intensive care sooner, after her family’s concerns about her deterioration went unheeded. Following campaigning by her mother, Merope Mills, the rule now gives patients, families, carers and staff round-the-clock access to a rapid review from a critical care outreach team if they’re worried a patient is deteriorating and feel unheard. It has three parts: daily structured check-ins with patients about how they’re feeling, 24/7 staff access to an outreach team, and the same 24/7 access for patients and families.

Led by the NIHR Central London Patient Safety Research Collaboration (based at UCLH) and delivered by SafetyNet, the network of all six NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaborations, the evaluation combines national data analysis (deterioration rates, escalations, ICU admissions, mortality) with in-depth qualitative work at 16 trusts — observations, interviews, and case studies. A central aim is equity: whether the rule works as well for people with communication difficulties, cognitive impairment, language barriers, or from underserved communities as for everyone else. Health economists will also assess value for money. Patients and families with lived experience of harm are involved as equal partners, not just research subjects.

Dr Matt Cooper is leading for the North East (Newcastle PSRC) and reflected on the award: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a cross-country, collaborative evaluation of a vital pathway across our NHS. This work will ensure that we support the implementation and effectiveness of Marthas Rule in the future.”

The North East team from Newcastle PSRC includes – Dr Matt Cooper, Professor Annette Hand and Lauren Lawson. (pictured left to right)

Read the full announcement on the SafetyNet website at the following link: SafetyNet | Martha’s Rule Summative Evaluation | NIHR PSRC Network

To mark Deaf Awareness Week 2026, our Director of EDI worked with students at the Newcastle School of Pharmacy to create a short blog about D/deaf awareness, inclusive pharmacy care and how this relates, in an actionable way, to patient safety.

The theme for this year’s Deaf Awareness Week was, ‘Right to understand – Together, we break barriers.’ This theme aimed to raise awareness for the communication needs of the D/deaf community and advocate for greater access to communication tools and services to support safe and inclusive consultations with patients.

Pharmacists and pharmacy teams play a key role in creating a safe space to support members of the Deaf community and ensuring equitable access to medication services. We can do this by educating ourselves on basic sign language, maintaining face-to-face contact, utilising visual/written aids and remaining open to conversation.

“Adaptation is a constant part of my life… the solutions to help bridge the gap are versatile and very much individualised” – Annissa Wiltshire, MPharm student and member of the Deaf community

Newcastle University’s BSL workshop is a great example of how we can undergo further training to educate ourselves. Newcastle Alumni and Foundation Trainee Pharmacist, Christina Newell, found the BSL training be “invaluable” in informing her work: “[doing BSL] pushed me to be a better healthcare professional with patients and carers who use this language to communicate. It also helped me develop different skills, such as being patient, knowing how to communicate with others using my body language and how to be focused and attentive to somebody when communicating with them.”

In pharmacy practice, ensuring information is clear, adaptable, and responsive to individual needs is essential to delivering safe, person-centred care and reducing health inequalities.

Blog post written by: Melika Ghazi-Nouri, Annissa Wiltshire, and Cristina Newell.

What can we learn from someone who has spent more than thirty years navigating complex health challenges? As This Curious Life begins its Global Conversation on Multiple Health Conditions, Victoria Bartle’s story offers a powerful reminder that some of the most important expertise in healthcare does not always come from textbooks, research papers or data. Sometimes it comes from the people living the reality every day. 

At the NIHR Newcastle PSRC, we are dedicated to improving safety and care for people living with multiple long-term conditions. While our research relies on rigorous scientific frameworks, Victoria’s insights highlight exactly why data alone isn’t enough. True progress happens when we combine clinical data with the deep, practical wisdom of patients who manage these complexities every single day.

Victoria’s journey shines a light on the questions that spreadsheets simply cannot answer—and reminds us who we are ultimately innovating for.

We invite you to dive into this insightful piece, explore the realities of navigating long-term conditions, and join the global conversation:

The Question Data Couldn’t Answer – This Curious Life

Victoria Bartle

This Dementia Action Week, we shared examples of education and research efforts led by people in our PSRC…

First up: Dr Anna Robinson-Barella, our Director of EDI in the PSRC, recently collaborated with colleagues at NIHR Join Dementia Research to film a short series about how pharmacists can support people impacted by Dementia (including patients and their carers/friends/family members). 💙🌼🎥  

Anna interviewed Sarah, who spoke about her experiences being a carer for her Mam, who was living with dementia. She discussed ways that pharmacists and wider members of the pharmacy team can support those impacted by dementia and the videos complemented teaching for teaching on the Master of Pharmacy degree at Newcastle University.

This work was supported by Anna’s collaborators: Dan Duhrin, Nichol Quinn and Lisa Duggan-Howarth at NIHR JDR.

Next: is work done by PSRC PhD researcher, Lauren Lawson, and her supervisory team (Dr Matt Cooper, Dr Clare Tolley, Prof Annette Hand and Prof Hamde Nazar). Lauren’s second publication from her PhD is titled “There doesn’t seem to be the help there for people who are carers”: Qualitative findings from a realist evaluation of hospital-to-home transitions. 💙

Read it here: https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/advance-article/doi/10.1093/geroni/igag056/8687114?login=true.

Lauren’s study looked at the experiences of unpaid carers supporting older adults with dementia and long-term conditions, when moving from hospital back home. 🏥

Findings suggested that many carers felt overwhelmed, unsupported, and unsure where to turn for reliable information, highlighting the need for clearer communication and more personalised support when someone with dementia and long-term conditions leaves hospital.

I am delighted to introduce myself as a new Clinical Research Fellow in Patient Safety and a member of the Academic Career Development (ACD) team here at the NIHR Newcastle PSRC. Joining the NIHR Newcastle PSRC is a fantastic privilege and something that I fully intend to make the most of. This opportunity feels like a natural next step in my research journey that has always been focused on making healthcare work better for the people who need it most.

My Background:

I am a Physiotherapist by background and am starting this position as a secondment from my NHS Trust – Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV). My clinical career to-date has covered both in patient and community physical health settings, before a transition to working specifically within inpatient mental health settings for working age adults.

In these roles, I saw first-hand how complex the intersection of physical and mental health can be. It became clear to me that patients with severe mental illness (i.e. psychosis, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder) often face many difficulties, not just from their primary diagnosis, but from the challenges of managing their physical health within a mental health setting. This is one of the areas that I hope to improve through my own research.

My Research Journey:

My introduction to clinical research was via a 9-month NIHR internship, leading to a 2-year part-time NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF). Following this I began my PhD part-time alongside my clinical work via a partnership between TEWV and York St John University.

My PhD has involved focusing on the complex relationship between physical symptoms (such as walking and daily functioning) and psychological symptoms (specifically anxiety and depression) in people living with Parkinson’s. This work has involved considering the perspectives of people living with Parkinson’s, their carers, and UK-based physiotherapists, alongside cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of various physical and psychological assessments. I am approaching the end of my PhD and alongside preparing to submit, I am in the process of developing some recommendations for clinical practice.

My other research interests focus on promoting sustainable long-term lifestyle and behaviour change to improve both physical and mental wellbeing. I am particularly interested in how we can move beyond short-term interventions to create lasting habits that improve quality of life. In the context of patient safety, this means looking at how health behaviours, such as physical activity and self-management, can act as a safety net, reducing the risk of secondary complications and hospital readmissions for those with complex needs.

Looking Forward:

At the NIHR Newcastle PSRC, I’ll be wearing two hats that I’m equally passionate about:

• In Academic Career Development (ACD): I know how daunting the clinical academic path can feel. Having navigated my pre-doctoral and (almost!) doctoral routes, I am excited to support others in finding their own routes into research. To me this will focus on individual development alongside supporting impactful research.
• In Patient Safety: I’ll be applying my clinical experience to help recognise risks and improve safety, particularly for populations that often fall through the cracks of traditional healthcare systems. For example, I have recently been successful in obtaining NIHR Three School Prevention funding. This will fund the PATHS to prevention project to explore current provision of physical activity support during the transition between inpatient and community mental health settings. We hope to build on the findings of this work to co-design improved pathways for maximising long-term engagement with physical activity to help both physical and mental health.

Let’s Connect:

The best research happens when we work together. Whether you’re a clinician with a nagging research question or a fellow researcher interested in mental health safety, I’d love to chat. I’m new to the PSRC and Newcastle University so I’d also love to connect with other colleagues with similar research interests.

You can find more details about my publications on ResearchGate or read more about my personal journey via Routes to Research.

My usual working days within the PSRC will be Wednesday-Friday.