معرفی
Gemma Louch is an Associate Professor in Applied Health and Care at the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Faculty of Medicine and Health. She is affiliated with the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration (YH PSRC), particularly within the Safer Systems, Cultures and Practices (SSyCap) theme. Her work bridges academic research and national health policy, with a focus on patient safety, implementation science, and equity in healthcare delivery.
Education:
- BSc (Hons) in Psychology, University of Leeds (2009)
- MSc in Psychological Approaches to Health, University of Leeds (2010)
- PhD in Health Psychology and Patient Safety, University of Leeds (2014)
Her research centers on patient safety, particularly safety inequalities and inequities affecting marginalized populations such as individuals with learning disabilities. She employs mixed-methods and qualitative approaches, with expertise in scoping reviews and implementation research. A significant focus of her current work is on maternity care safety for women with learning disabilities and systemic responses to patient safety incidents across the NHS.
Gemma leads and contributes to major NIHR-funded research programs, including serving as Research Programme Manager for the 49-month Response Study (2022–2026), which evaluates the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) across England. She also leads a rapid review and a national survey of NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards as part of this program.
Scientific Awards and Professional Affiliations:
- Editorial Board Member, BMC Health Services Research
- Former member, NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB), Yorkshire and North East Regional Advisory Committee
She actively supervises PhD students, including Brook Howells (focused on healthcare safety management systems) and Saima Noureen (investigating maternity safety inequities using integrated data). Former students include Emily Parker, whose research examined risk management by junior doctors in emergency departments, and Alice Dunning, who explored wellbeing interventions for nursing staff. All students were funded through NIHR YH PSRC or related collaborations.
Her research has been supported by major grants, including as Principal Investigator on a Baily Thomas Charitable Fund project on maternity care for women with learning disabilities, and as Co-Investigator on multiple NIHR HS&DR projects focused on patient and family involvement in incident investigations and co-designed safety interventions in mental health settings.
