Dr Rachel Spencer

SIGs lead, Executive Member

Research Interests

I am an academic GP and my research interest is in all aspects of patient safety in primary care, I have been involved in safety research for the last ten years. Currently, as an NIHR advanced fellow, I develop resources to improve safety at the interface of primary and secondary care for older people. Previously my NIHR funded doctoral work focused on safety of communication for older patients discharged from hospital.  I worked on the multi-centre NIHR patient safety toolkit project for general practices which was adopted by the Royal College of General Practice. I have also developed prescribing indicators which are used internationally for safety surveillance in General Practice. 

Biography

I have been in post-doctoral roles at Warwick Medical School since 2019 and I sit within the Unit of Academic Primary Care where I head our patient safety and quality theme https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/hscience/apc/ . I have been a member of the Society of Academic Primary Care executive committee since 2021. I am also a part-time salaried GP in Coventry. In 2018 I was the West Midlands CRN First 5 research champion promoting research in practice to young GPs across the region. I completed my doctoral work with Professor Anthony Avery at the University of Nottingham between 2014 and 2018. Prior to this I was an academic GP trainee funded by the NIHR from 2011-2013 in Nottingham.

Mentorship Offer

I can offer a mid-career perspective to anybody who is interested in an academic career in primary care. I work in a multi-disciplinary unit with many non-clinicians who I have guided and advised informally. I am our unit training and development lead.  I have experience as a clinical academic mentor to clinical trainees who are coming up through academic GP training or thinking of undertaking a PhD. I can offer near peer insights to Academic Clinical Lecturers or senior research fellows who are thinking about applying for fellowships or taking their first steps into the role of principal investigator.