Health research in the north of Scotland will be boosted by the appointment of two senior researchers to the University of Aberdeen's Highlands and Islands Health Research Institute (HIHRI), based in Inverness.
Mr David Heaney has joined the Institute from the University of Edinburgh as a Senior Research Fellow. His main area of expertise is in the delivery and organisation of health services. Studying new methods of providing health care is of great importance at the present time, in the face of advancing technology and finite resources in healthcare. Mr Heaney is currently leading a team of researchers throughout Scotland, investigating the impact of the new NHS24 telephone helpline. He has also recently commenced a study of out-of-hours care in remote and rural Scotland.
Dr Helen Richards has been appointed as a Clinical Senior Lecturer. She is a general practitioner who undertook her research training at the University of Glasgow. During the past two years, she has been a part-time GP in Strathpeffer and a researcher at HIHRI. She has a particular interest in how patients use health care services, and has previously worked with patients suffering from heart disease. She is currently involved in studies of telemedicine in remote and rural Scotland. She will continue to work as a GP while leading a new programme of research on access to care.
Professor David Godden, Director of HIHRI, said: "We are delighted to welcome Mr Heaney and Dr Richards to our senior staff. They both have extensive research experience in health care and will lead important research programmes. Increasingly, doctors, nurses and other health professionals rely on research evidence to support the work that they do. In the more remote and rural parts of Scotland, distance from major centres provides additional challenges for patients and health care workers alike. The main aim of HIHRI is to provide the evidence to support health services in the more remote and rural parts of the country. Our new colleagues will greatly increase our capacity to deliver that aim."
Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen. Tel: (01224) 272960 Fax: (01224) 272086. Contact: Angela Ferguson.