Professor Charles Vincent is an Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College and Professor of Psychology at the University of Oxford.
Academic Background
I graduated in Psychology and Philosophy at St Johns College Oxford. I trained as a clinical psychologist and worked in the British NHS for several years, before studying for a PhD at University College London. I established the Clinical Risk Unit at the Department of Psychology, University College London where I was Professor of Psychology. In 2002 I moved to become Professor of Clinical Safety Research in the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College in 2002. I have acted as an advisor on patient safety in many inquiries and committees including the Bristol Inquiry, the Parliamentary Health Select Committee, the Francis Inquiry and the Berwick Review. From 2007 to 2013 I was the Director of the National Institute of Health Research Centre for Patient Safety & Service Quality at Imperial College. I moved to the Department of Experimental Psychology in January 2014 with the support of the Health Foundation.
Research Interests
My research is concerned with understanding how healthcare can become safer. While healthcare brings huge benefits errors are frequent and many patients come to some harm during their care. This area of work is usually described as ‘patient safety.’ My research has examined the nature and extent of error and harm and methods for understanding and improving safety. For instance, my colleagues and I developed measures of teamwork and training programmes using simulation to enhance teamwork skills. I also have a longstanding concern with the effect of errors on both patients and staff.
My current work focuses on four main areas:
- The benefits and risks of healthcare in the home. Healthcare is increasingly being provided in the home which is potentially very beneficial. However care in the home also increases risk as patients and families have to carry out complex clinical tasks. We have developed methods of providing training and support to parents caring for children with complex illnesses.
- Methods of analysing incidents in patient care which can provide valuable insights into the prevention of future problems and wider safety improvement. We have recently released an updated version of the London Protocol, a widely used approach to examining the strengths and vulnerabilities of healthcare systems.
- Managing risk under pressure. Healthcare staff work under considerable pressure in many settings which poses considerable risks to patients. Clinical staff are trained to manage clinical emergencies, but there is little guidance or preparation for managing whole units or departments. We are studying and developing the strategies that healthcare staff use to maintain productivity and safety when under pressure.
- Safety in low resource healthcare settings. Improving the safety of healthcare in countries with lower resources can potentially provide huge benefits for patients and reduce the burden on staff working in these incredibly stressful environments. I am collaborating with colleagues in global health to analyse these problems and developing effective low-cost interventions.
Other Information
I am married to Angela and have a daughter Rhianne, who is also a psychologist.
Links
Subject notes for courses taught at Jesus College:
See also Professor Vincent’s departmental website.