Dr Tom Blakeman, University of Manchester

I am a General Practitioner in Leeds and a NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Primary Care at the University of Manchester. My research interests focus on improving the delivery of care for people living with long-term conditions. In particular, I'm interested in embedding and integrating effective self-management support into primary care.

Following completion of vocational training in 1999, I spent two years as Academic Registrar at the University of New South Wales, Australia. During this time, I was chief investigator on studies evaluating the implementation of care planning into primary health care for persons with chronic and complex needs.

In 2003, I was awarded a HSR Training Fellowship by The Wellcome Trust to undertake a Masters in Health and Community Research in Manchester. This was followed by a NIHR Researcher Development Award to undertake a PhD focused on exploring support for self-management of long-term conditions in general practice. The study entailed a qualitative mixed methods approach, which included comparative analysis of interviews with patients and health professionals in conjunction with in-depth analysis of video-recordings of consultations. My PhD contributed to the design and evaluation of the WISE (Whole Systems Informing Self-management Engagement) intervention aimed at improving long-term condition management in primary care.

Informed by initial qualitative work, I am currently chief investigator for a RCT evaluating a complex self-management intervention aimed at improving outcomes for patients with early stage chronic kidney disease. This study forms a key element of the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research (CLAHRC) for Greater Manchester.