Summary
I am Director of the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) & Primary Care Research Manager at the School of Public Health. I'm also supporting the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training, NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Co-operative London, West London Research Network (WeLReN), Imperial Research Hub and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHT) Directorate of Public Health & Primary Care in the same capacity.
My principle aim is to widen access & participation in research & the widespread adoption and diffusion of evidence-based health & wellbeing interventions.
Prior to assuming this role, I was based at Guy’s hospital where I worked in a similar capacity within the NIHR Clinical Research Network. My earlier career spanned a number of disparate fields including molecular & cell biology, vision research, laser-tissue interaction & medical device engineering.
Self Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU)
SCARU is a tripartite collaboration between Imperial College School of Public Health, the Self-Care Forum & the International Self-Care Foundation where I am also Director & Trustee. SCARU will explore how the application of self-care could result in improved outcomes & lower dependency on NHS resources in the contemporary setting, whilst also identifying key evidence-based recommendations for the consideration of commissioners of health and policy makers. The Unit will act as a hub with the aim of making the absolute case for self care by coordinating a wide portfolio of research activity in the follwing domains:
- Evidence synthesis to investigate various aspects of self-care & how this links to empowerment, health literacy & resilience in the community
- Evaluation of self-care interventions, pilots, initiatives & existing services, including audits of local/national importance
- Collaborative working with industry sponsors & device manufacturers to support technology enabled self-care approaches
- Supporting the NHS & wider health economy by making the absolute case for self care; by understanding how it can benefit the wider health economy from the perspective of funding of outcomes as opposed to activities
- Establishing & maintaining a database / repository of evidence on self care
- Developing & championing a self-care in mental health theme
- Influencing inter/national policy on self-care for people & patient benefit
Slide-DeckS
A Whistlestop Tour of the NHS
Flattening the Curve with Self-Care
Vocational interests
- Self-Care communities of pracrtice
- Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)
- Leveraging Community Assets to tackling Social Isolation & Loneliness
- Lifestyle modification & behaviour change (easier siad than done!)
- Use of point of care testing in the primary care & community settings
- Innovation praxis & change management in the NHS
- The case for the emergence of the ‘enabling state’ to supplant the existing ‘welfare state’ ethos in the UK
- Workplace Health Promotion
I hold a Doctorate in Medicine from King’s College London, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) form the London South Bank University, an MSc in Pathology & Virology from Imperial College London & a BSc in Molecular Biology & Genetics from Queen Mary University of London. I was recently awarded Chartered Manager (C.Mgr) status by the Chartered Management Institute but failed miserably at becoming a certified PRINCE2 practitioner.
I'm otherwise fascinated by bees, honey & apitherapy. Apparently, I continue to be inspired by Bach's reverential French Suites & Partitas, and consider Martha Argerich as the most formidable pianist alive today, with the veritable Andras Schiff in second place...
Publications
Journals
Bloom C, Ramsey H, Alter M, et al. , 2020, Qualitative study of practices and challenges of stepping down asthma medication in primary care across the UK, Journal of Asthma and Allergy, Vol:13, ISSN:1178-6965, Pages:429-437
Wang C, Bakhet M, Roberts D, et al. , 2020, The efficacy of microlearning in improving self-care capability: a systematic review of the literature, Public Health, Vol:186, ISSN:0033-3506, Pages:286-296
Bakhet M, Ul-Haq Z, Kamalati T, et al. , 2020, Blood tests in general practice: the use of routine data to characterise venous blood testing in North West London, 2016–2018, British Journal of General Practice, Vol:70, ISSN:0960-1643