Human Factors Hub

Paul Bowie
Programme Director

Paul is a safety scientist, medical educator and chartered ergonomist & human factors expert with around 30 years of experience leading and collaborating in research, innovation and educational development to improve the quality and safety of healthcare in the UK and internationally.   He is Programme Director for Safety and Improvement with NHS Education for Scotland where he also leads the Safety, Skills, Simulation and Improvement Research Collaborative (SKIRC).  

Paul is Healthcare Sector Lead for Patient Safety at the UK Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.  He is also Honorary Professor in the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow and Visiting Professor at Queen’s University, Kingston in Canada.  He holds honorary fellowships with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Manoj Kumar 
National Clinical Lead (TBQR)

Manoj is NHS Education Scotland’s National Clinical Lead for Team Based Quality Reviews (TBQR) which aims to improve quality and safety reviews in health and social care.

He is also a Consultant Surgeon and Associate Director of Medical Education at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen and Hon Clinical Tutor at the University of Edinburgh. 

He has a keen interest in the application of Human Factors or Ergonomics in Healthcare and has also completed a Masters degree in Patient Safety: A Human Factors Approach from the University of Aberdeen. He is actively involved in Human Factors training in the UK and internationally. He is the module lead for the MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors at the University of Edinburgh. 

Manoj is a Scottish Quality and Safety Fellow. He is a committee member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Health and Medical Law Subcommittee, Regional Surgical Advisor at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and an ambassador for the Clinical Human Factors Group.

Suzanne Anderson-Stirling
Educational Lead

Suzanne has worked in the field of training and education development in both the public and private sectors for 25 years.  With a background in Psychology, Suzanne started with NES in 2006 as an Educational Specialist for the Psychology Directorate.  After completing her Masters in Health Professions Education, she joined the Medical Directorate Research Team in 2012.  Her work has focussed on designing and quality assuring a diverse range of training programmes and developing train the trainer programmes.  She has designed, delivered, and evaluated academically accredited training events and long-term programmes.  An experienced researcher and data analyst she enjoys revealing the success of learning events from participant feedback and identifying continuous improvement through evaluation.

Mark Johnston

Specialist Lead
Organisational Development Leadership & Learning

A member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. Mark has worked for NHS Education for Scotland (NES) since 2009 and is part of the Organisational Development Leadership and Learning Department within the Workforce Directorate. A graduate of the University of Derby MSc Ergonomics and Organisational Behaviour Programme, Mark works on developing educational resources across a wide spectrum of areas, using these networks to develop his own understanding of the core drivers for enhancing individual and organisational wellbeing and performance.

In collaboration with colleagues from across health and social care, Mark is currently developing resources for NHS Scotland staff on Human Factors, significant event analysis and related safety, improvement and workforce education. In addition, Mark is a member of faculty for the Edinburgh University MSc Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors Programme. Mark lives in the Scottish Borders with his wife and two children.

Alexia Pellowe
Associate Advisor

Dr Alexia Pellowe MBChB MRCGP (Edin.2005) is a GP in Ayrshire and an Associate Advisor with NHS Education for Scotland based in the West of Scotland. She has worked as a GP partner and locum within both Ayrshire and Glasgow Health boards and as a GP Stakeholder in East Ayrshire HSCP. She is currently the Clinical Lead of NHS Ayrshire & Arran TEC team. She represents her colleagues at Local Medical Committee and Scottish General Practitioner Committees.

Simon Paterson-Brown 
Scientific Advisor

I was a Consultant General Surgeon in the Royal Infirmary between Jan 1994 and March 2021, when I retired from clinical practice. I continue to be involved in teaching post-graduate students at Edinburgh University as an Honorary Senior Lecturer, as well as running training courses for surgeons and surgical teams for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. I am the co-editor for the Companion to Surgical Practice series (now in its 6th edition) and the year one programme director for the Edinburgh Surgery Online MSc course in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors.

Helen Vosper
Scientific Advisor

Dr Helen Vosper, Chartered Ergonomist and Lead for Patient Safety, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen
A graduate of the Loughborough MSc Ergonomics (Human Factors) Programme, I have a broad interest across a range of sectors, especially aviation. In recent years, I have specialised in healthcare and healthcare education. Ergonomics/Human Factors has much to offer as healthcare curriculum content, facilitating learner development of practical competencies that can be applied in the workplace to optimise healthcare system outcomes, including staff and patient safety. Academic practice can also be viewed as a complex socio-technical system and Ergonomics/Human Factors principles can therefore underpin effective curriculum design, optimising outcomes such as student performance, wellbeing and satisfaction.

I also have advanced higher education learning and teaching qualifications and am a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I combine my specialisms to support healthcare educators in developing and delivering effective Ergonomics/Human Factors training and development packages. I am currently a Scientific Advisor to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) on patient safety and quality improvement research and educational development. I am keen to hear from anyone with an interest in research and development in these areas.

Alastair Ross
Scientific Advisor

Al Ross is a Senior Lecturer in Human Factors in Healthcare at Glasgow Dental School. He is a member of the National Advisory Board on Human Factors in Dentistry (NABHF) and Co-Chair of the Human Factors Special Interest Group for ASPiH, the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare. Al has previously worked as a Human Factors researcher and consultant across a range of settings including military and defence, nuclear power, police, and the railways. His books include ‘Beyond Human Error’ (CRC Press) and ‘Safety Management: A Qualitative Systems Approach’ (Taylor and Francis).

Andrew Carson-Stevens
Scientific Advisor

Dr Andrew Carson-Stevens is an academic general practitioner and health services researcher leading research and pedagogical advances in how health and social care organisations learn from unsafe care experienced by patients and families. He convenes the Patient Safety Research Group (the 'PISA group') at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, investigating the frequency and avoidability of healthcare-associated harm, and the development and implementation of interventions to mitigate risk to patients.  Dr Carson-Stevens is a long-standing adviser to the World Health Organization on patient safety and methodological adviser to the OECD Working Group for Patient-reported Safety Outcomes. He was a member of the WHO Taskforce responsible for formulating the content and recommendations of the WHO's Global Patient Safety Action Plan (2021-2030). 

Paul O'Connor
Scientific Advisor

Paul O’Connor is a human factors psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Primary Care at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is the Research Director of the Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation, and Co-Director of the Diploma and Masters in Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety. His research, and teaching, are concerned with improving human performance and safety in high risk work environments. He has carried out research in a wide range of high risk industries (e.g. civil aviation, offshore oil production), and the military (e.g. aviation, special forces). In recent years his research and teaching has focused on the human factors that contribute to patient safety and quality of care.

Alexandra Lang
Scientific Advisor

Dr Alexandra Lang is an Assistant Professor in Human Factors (HF), specialising in the application of HF to Health and Social care. She has experience of healthcare improvement research in a diverse range of clinical applications. Alex teaches Human Factors on the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety MSc at the University of Nottingham and holds a range of other associated academic lecturing and examining roles. Previous employment at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUHT) as a Human Factors Specialist, saw Alex integrating human factors into practice through applied projects in clinical context, research studies and training and education. She currently holds a post as Human Factors Consultant for the Centre for Healthcare Equipment & Technology Adoption (CHEATA) at NUHT. Additional roles include Chair of the Healthcare Special Interest Group for the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (2016-19), Difficult Airways Society Human Factors Committee (2017-present).

Satyan Chari
Scientific Advisor

Satyan is a clinician (a practicing occupational therapist) with close to twenty years of experience in various practitioner and leadership roles in healthcare quality and safety. Satyan received a PhD in patient safety from Monash University where he researched human centred environmental design to reduce falls and improve recovery for older patients in hospital. Satyan currently leads the CEQ Bridge Labs program which is an award-winning innovation initiative tackling complex frontline healthcare challenges through government-academic partnerships in creative design, safety science and systems human factors & ergonomics.

Satyan also leads the Queensland healthcare improvement community of practice (HICOP) and is senior faculty on the Queensland Healthcare Improvement Fellowship Program (which he co-developed). Satyan holds concurrent honorary positions as an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast and visiting faculty in the School of Design at the Queensland University of Technology.  Satyan was an international human factors fellow with the Medstar Institute for Innovation in Washington DC in 2016 and Visiting Research Scientist at the Health Systems Engineering Institute in Boston, USA in 2015. Satyan has advised globally on healthcare safety, quality and performance innovation programs, is a respected voice in healthcare human factors, complexity and safety innovation. Satyan is a vocal advocate for the greater inclusion of human-centred design and systems approaches in major reform and improvements efforts underway in healthcare today.

Scott Clarke
Professional Advisor

Scott is an emergency medicine trainee in South-East Scotland, a fellow in medical education at Edinburgh Medical School and a HEMS doctor at Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex. During his simulation fellowship, he realised that there was much more to human factors than just non-technical skills. He then became increasingly interested in human factors during his doctorate and used systems thinking as a lens to consider newly qualified doctors’ stressful experiences during the management of acutely unwell patients. He continues to collaborate with chartered human factors and ergonomics (HFE) practitioners to apply systems thinking and HFE methods to real-world problems in emergency medicine and pre-hospital care.

Dawn Orr
NHS24

Dr Dawn Orr is a Nurse Consultant in Telehealth and Telecare at NHS 24. Dawn is currently the lead for Advanced Practice and line manages this skillset. This work is currently focused on remote prescribing and the use of near me technology.  Dawn regularly works with the Scottish Government Health Department, territorial health boards and Higher education intuitions to introduce and develop the workforce within Telehealth and future services.  She is also involved in remote and rural work with the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Highland. She is involved in work related to the Sir Lewis Ritchie review including establishment of the Centre of Excellence. Dawn has recently completed a Professional Doctorate looking at clinical decision making in Telehealth and whether this is a clinical or analytical process.

Hugh Currie
NHS Ayrshire and Arran

Hugh Currie is a Chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and is employed by NHS Ayrshire & Arran where he has worked for 17 years in safety and risk roles. Prior to this he was a member of the Royal Air Force specialising in supply chain management. 

In his current NHS role, he leads on occupational health, health and safety and, risk management. A key focus of his work is the development of a safe environment which incorporates human factors concepts and practices. He is passionate about improving the quality and safety of patient care along with improvements in staff wellbeing through the implementation of system thinking and human centred co-design principles and methods.

Ian Davidson
NHS Tayside

Ian has worked in different roles in healthcare for over 30 years, historically as a corporate communication's manager and recently as a clinical governance and risk manager with NHS Tayside. His main areas of interest are adverse event management and the resulting investigations, and particularly how these are approached in healthcare and the effect these may have on those directly involved. Ian is currently seconded as a senior risk advisor to work with Professor Paul Bowie at NHS Education for Scotland and colleagues at Healthcare Improvement Scotland as part of the joint commission for openness and learning.

Gary Rutherford

Scottish Ambulance Service

Gary is the Patient Safety Lead for the Scottish Ambulance Service. He is a paramedic and his interest in Human Factors originated from crew resource management training and application as a helicopter paramedic in Glasgow. Gary moved into paramedic education and was the programme lead for the DipHE in Paramedic Practice programme in Scotland. In this role, he designed and delivered a university module on human factors in paramedic practice. He is also an honorary educational co-ordinator at the Scottish Centre for Simulation and Clinical Human Factors. He has completed a BSc in Paramedic Practice, gained the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care awarded by the Royal College of Surgeons, and completed post-graduate certificates in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, and Patient Safety & Clinical Human Factors.

Gary has recently edited a book on Human Factors for Paramedic Practice.

Karon Cormack
Director of Quality - NHS Lanarkshire

Karon is originally from a nursing background and has worked in the field of clinical risk and quality improvement for over 20 years. She is a qualified Improvement Advisor and has also completed a post graduate certificate in Management, Leadership and Human Factors. She is also a qualified Life Coach and provides coaching to staff in NHS Lanarkshire. She has developed and delivers training for investigation and learning from significant adverse events including an awareness and application of knowledge of human factors. She is currently the Director of Quality for Lanarkshire Health Board maintains an interest in understanding human behaviour to improve processes in healthcare.

Dr Wendy Russell

NHS Ayrshire and Arran

I am currently a Consultant in Acute Medicine working in NHS Ayrshire and Arran. My interest and knowledge of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) has grown over the last 5 years becoming involved with the National and local networks to learn about and apply HFE methodology to working life. I plan to take my learning further with an MSc in 2024 and have spoken about what Human Factors is and why better knowledge and application is so important to Acute Medicine at national conferences and postgraduate education sessions. I was part of a group piloting the use of Bowtie Analysis in Healthcare to assess it as a potential model for hazard analysis in the NHS, and in my own working environment try to influence Clinical Governance frameworks, improvement work and adverse event reviews to apply systems thinking.  

I feel passionately that we can use design to make it easier for people to work in healthcare and thus improve staff wellbeing, as well as optimise performance. I’m keen to grow a knowledge base and culture in the NHS that moves towards improvements that enhance the resilience and decision making of the human in complex healthcare settings, so we all enjoy our work more, perform if better and ultimately improve the care we provide.

Paul Watson
Senior Project Officer

Before joining NES Paul worked in public and private healthcare at Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Nuffield Health Glasgow and at Healthcare Improvement Scotland as a Project Officer in the Standards & Indicators team. Since joining NES in 2016 Paul has undergone training in Prince2 Project Management, eLearning module construction & development and Digital Learning Design. Paul also works with the GP Assistant Director for Patient Safety and Quality Improvement to develop and evaluate Quality Improvement and patient safety educational resources for front line health care teams.

Lynsey Tindall

Administration Officer

Lynsey started with us in July 2021. Her background for the last 15 years has been Finance (Payroll, Bookkeeping, Accounts and some HR) She joined us after a short spell with Test and Protect and decided to continue her career in the NHS. She is keen to learn and develop and is enjoying working for NES so far.