Voice of the Voiceless: How we co-produced materials to help reduce stigma for people receiving opioid substitution therapy in pharmacies

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By Dr Vicky Carlisle, Research Fellow, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol

Voice of the Voiceless is a collaboration between people who receive opioid substitution therapy (OST) for opioid dependence, University of Bristol academics (Dr Vicky Carlisle, Dr Adam Holland, Dr Jenny Scott), Bristol City Council (Ashley Ward), Bristol Drugs Project (Lydia Plant, Lianna Telfer), Developing Health & Independence (Nick Booth), and Harm Reduction Mothers2Mothers (Anna Millington). In 2024 we worked together with a graphic designer to co-produce a booklet that aims to: reduce stigma for people who receive opioid substitution treatment; empower them in their interactions in pharmacies; and foster mutual compassion and respect between pharmacy staff and people who receive OST.

Why stigma and why pharmacies?

OST (with methadone or buprenorphine) is prescribed for opioid dependence. Broadly, the aim is to provide individuals with stability  and relief from withdrawal symptoms, and to reduce reliance … Read more

Caring for children with cough: co-designing information that parents really need

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By Dr Christie Cabral, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

When a child develops a cough, parents often find themselves in a whirlwind of worry and uncertainty. Is this normal? Should I call the doctor? Could it be something serious? These questions are common and understandable.

Infectious illnesses, like respiratory infections that cause coughs, are among the most frequent reasons for childhood visits to the GP. While the vast majority of coughs in children get better without the need for any medical treatment, a very small number could be serious.

The challenge lies in helping parents distinguish between what’s normal and what needs to be checked by a GP. This is what we set out to do when creating the Caring for children with coughs materials.

Why we needed better information

Parents said they found most of the existing NHS resources on what to … Read more

Experience: Attending an academic conference as a public contributor

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What’s it like attending an academic conference when you’re not an academic but are involved in research?

In this blog, Karen Sargent and Jane Sprackman, both Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) contributors on The AFRI-c Study (which is investigating the use of air filters to prevent respiratory infections including COVID-19 in older people’s care homes), share their reflections on attending the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Annual Scientific Meeting on 8-9 July 2025 hosted by Cardiff University.

How and why did you come to attend the conference?

Karen: We were advised by the study team that there was funding for us to attend a conference. I was particularly motivated to go to the SAPC conference as AFRI-c was being presented, as well as another study, the CHiP Study (Care of Housebound Patients in Primary Care), which I have been involved with as a … Read more

The importance of patient and public involvement and engagement in research – a PhD researcher’s journey of discovery

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By Anna Pathmanathan, PhD student, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Hello, my name is Anna Pathmanathan and I am a Third year PhD researcher at the University of Bristol. I am part of the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) team and I’m investigating health differences between different ethnic groups, relating to antibiotic resistance and respiratory health concerns.

I am currently conducting big data analysis of healthcare records and interviewing health care practitioners and patients, as part of my work.

What did you know and how did you feel about patient and public involvement and engagement when you started your PhD?

Before starting my PhD, I had no experience of engaging or involving the public in research. I had very little research experience at all, so it was all new to me.

When I realised I needed to involve the public in my … Read more

Learning from each other: Insights from a public co-applicant collaboration in primary care research

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Dr Charlotte ArcherIn this blog, Louise Ting and Charlotte Archer share their reflections on working together as a public co-applicant and principal investigator on a research study looking at the benefits and challenges of remote consulting for anxiety and depression in primary care. A public co-applicant is an individual with lived experience of the condition being researched who is involved in the development of a research funding application. If the research is funded, they also have some responsibility as part of the team for the management and/or delivery of the study.

The study that Louise and Charlotte delivered together involved interviewing 21 patients and 20 practitioners (GPs, nurses, pharmacists) from GP practices in Bristol and the surrounding area. The aim was to understand when alternative platforms for consultations, such as telephone calls, are acceptable, effective and preferable to in-person appointments for people seeking support with anxiety and depression. You can read about … Read more

How team science is helping to detect dangerous drugs and save lives

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By Dr Jenny Scott, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

In 2019, while working at the University of Bath, I had a conversation with Professor Chris Pudney that would spark an idea that is now saving lives. We met at a research “sandpit” – an event designed to bring together researchers from different fields to explore new ideas. We started talking about the growing dangers faced by people who use drugs, especially in an unregulated and increasingly toxic drug market.

That conversation led to the formation of Team Harm Reduction – a group of scientists, clinicians, and researchers working together to tackle drug-related harm. By combining expertise in chemistry, artificial intelligence, mathematics, pharmacy, and intervention development, alongside my own experience in substance use services, we set out to create tools that could detect harmful substances quickly and accurately.

A crisis that

… Read more

Life-changing – how taking part in research helped me lose weight and enjoy life more

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Fred
Francis

 

 

 

 

 

Fred and Francis took part in the Game of Stones study, a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of text messaging, with and without financial incentives, in helping men with obesity lose weight.

The study found that men who received text messages and a financial incentive of up to £400, if they met specific weight loss targets over a 12-month period, lost significantly more weight compared to the other two groups: men who received text messages only; and men who were put on a waiting list to receive text messages after 12 months.

To celebrate taking part in research as part of the NIHR Be Part of Research campaign, and to encourage others to do so, Fred and Francis share their stories about why they took part in the study and the impact it has had … Read more

Top tips for planning an interest holder engagement event

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Dr Alice Harper

 

 

by Dr Alice Harper, ST3 Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol.

Engagement with individuals who hold a direct interest in your findings is an important aspect of research. This process has been known as ‘stakeholder’ engagement but academics have recently critiqued the use of this language and encouraged more inclusive alternative terms. I have chosen to use the term ‘interest holder’ here.

I was recently involved in organising a local engagement event for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Supporting People to live wELL with multiple long-term health conditions (SPELL) study. I invited members of the public with lived experience, representatives from local and national health and care charities, healthcare professionals working in local general practices, and representatives from the local integrated care board, to spend the afternoon with the SPELL study research … Read more

How to get the most out of conferences and meetings: reflections from an early career GP Academic

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By Dr Mavin Kashyap, Academic Clinical Fellow, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Attending conferences and professional meetings can feel both exciting and overwhelming—especially in the early stages of an academic career. As an early career researcher, I’ve come to see these events as unique opportunities for professional growth, connection, and inspiration. Having attended three conferences and a meeting in the space of three weeks, I’ve learnt some lessons that I’d like to share in the hope that it helps others make their conference attendances purposeful.

Interdisciplinary conferences

Firstly, I attended the South West Public Health Scientific Conference as part of my Public Health Scholarship with North Somerset Council Public Health team. Here I could focus on soaking up the atmosphere and appreciating the varied insights across public health practice from vastly different professional backgrounds.

It was encouraging to see senior leaders in attendance … Read more

From Bristol to Milan: A PhD journey through AI, ultrasound & espresso

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by Kerstin Nothnagel, Postgraduate researcher and PhD student, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Montage of photos of Kerstin's time at the Human Technopole, Milan.

I’m a doctoral researcher in the second year of my PhD at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, focusing on something that feels very timely—and occasionally, just a bit sci-fi: how artificial intelligence can change the way we diagnose and treat illness.

My research lives in the real-world space of primary care, where many diagnostic gaps still exist. One of the things I’m investigating is whether AI-guided ultrasound can support GPs and nurses in diagnosing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) right at the clinic—or even in patients’ homes—without requiring specialist ultrasound skills.

With step-by-step AI guidance and image uploads to a cloud dashboard for remote specialist input, we could speed up diagnosis, reduce complications like pulmonary embolism, and skip the often long and stressful wait for hospital-based imaging.

Sounds promising, … Read more