Professor Rebecca Lawton was an external examiner of my PhD, and so our first meeting was during my viva examination. I enjoyed our conversations during the viva and appreciated her kind, fair and robust approach to the process. Soon after completing my PhD, I applied for (and was awarded) a NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) grant. During the DSE application process, I approached Professor Lawton about the possibility of linking with the Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) and was delighted when she agreed to this.
Since starting my DSE, I have been fortunate enough to spend some time in Bradford with Professor Lawton, Dr Beth Fylan and other members the PSRC. My experience of the team has been extremely positive. Once my visit had been arranged, a programme was put together for me which had clearly been tailored to my areas of interest from both subject-matter and methodological perspectives. During my time at the PSRC I was able to meet with researchers at different career points, with varying expertise, and from different backgrounds. This was helpful in informing plans for my own research whilst also expanding my professional network. Despite being a busy and highly productive team, everyone I met was very generous with their time and I was made to feel extremely welcome. I was also given the chance to speak about my own research activities at a quality and safety seminar which was a brilliant opportunity to showcase my own patient safety research and to build connections with clinicians and researchers with similar interests.
Since my first visit, I have been able to attend a series of workshops (both face-to-face and online) for early career researchers (on topics like patient and public involvement and engagement, and logic models) which have been useful in shaping my plans. As part of my DSE, I hope to visit the PSRC again in 2024 to present a draft protocol for the next stage of my research.
I am very grateful to Professor Lawton and the team at the Yorkshire and Humber PSRC for facilitating a placement. The impressive research portfolio, collective methodological expertise from the team, and the friendly and open culture make it an ideal environment for early career researchers like me to develop.
The team at the Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research group are a pleasure to work with. I was given a very warm welcome when I came to visit. I have had many thought-provoking conversations with different members of the team. The centre is very well organised and there is a wealth of expertise. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming.