Imelda McDermott

Dr. Imelda McDermott is a Research Fellow in Pharmacy at the University of Manchester with over 15 years of experience in health policy research. She has a strong publication record and extensive experience leading research projects funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), NHS England, and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). As a core member of the Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System (PRUComm), she specializes in primary care policy, particularly workforce development and commissioning systems within the UK health system.

Dr. McDermott's educational background includes a PhD in Theoretical & Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh, a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from Monash University, and a BSc (Hons) in Banking and Finance from the London School of Economics. Her methodological expertise encompasses Realist Evaluation, Normalisation Process Theory, Linguistic Ethnography, and various discourse analysis approaches.

Her research focuses on primary care workforce transformation, particularly skill mix change, pharmacy workforce development, and NHS commissioning systems. She employs qualitative and mixed methods approaches to examine organizational change, professional identity, and policy implementation within healthcare settings. Her work often addresses the practical challenges of integrating new professional roles into primary care and understanding workforce dynamics in community pharmacy settings.

Dr. McDermott has received significant recognition for her research, including a Best Paper Award at the 14th Organisational Behaviour in Health Care Conference (2024) and a Highly Commended Paper from the Journal of Health Organisation & Management (2013). Her publications demonstrate consistent contributions to understanding health system organization, workforce development, and professional identity in healthcare settings.

She currently leads multiple major research projects including the COMPARIES study examining integration of new roles in primary care across England and Scotland, evaluations of independent prescribing in community pharmacy, and research on pharmacist personas. Her work contributes significantly to addressing the workforce crisis in UK primary care through evidence-based policy recommendations.

As an active researcher, Dr. McDermott serves on the Health Policy & Politics Network and previously served on the University of Manchester Research Ethics Committee (2013-2015). She regularly engages with policymakers and presents her findings at academic and professional conferences, ensuring her research has practical impact on health service delivery and workforce planning.