Mrs Natalie Jones
PhD, MSc, PGC, BSc Hons
School of Medicine and Population Health
Clinical Academic Occupational Therapist
NIHR Senior Research Leader, Strategic Lead for ARRS Roles, Associate Lecturer
07880003229
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
- Profile
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With over 30 years of NHS experience across primary and secondary care, I bring a rich background spanning clinical practice, education, leadership, service transformation, and research. My clinical and academic work as an Occupational Therapist is dedicated to supporting people and families affected by health inequalities, long-term conditions, and neurological rehabilitation, with a particular focus on digital innovation and sustainable workforce development.
I have been awarded five NIHR Research Fellowships, including a doctoral fellowship for the BISTRo study (Breakfast group Interventions in Stroke Rehabilitation), which focused on improving eating and drinking interventions in acute stroke units, enhancing patient outcomes, and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration. I currently hold an NIHR Postdoctoral Research Award, and am hosted in Primary Care Doncaster, and embedded in the South Yorkshire Primary Care Training and Workforce Hub. I am also an NIHR Senior Research Leader 2026-2029.
Throughout my career, I have led nationally recognised programmes that bridge research, innovation, and practice. As lead for the VICTOR impact tool and e-platform, now adopted by more than 75 health, care, and research organisations in the UK, I have championed new ways to capture and demonstrate research impact. My expertise in co-production and co-design research methods has supported the development of evidence that translates directly into service improvement and better outcomes for patients and professionals alike.
In addition to my research and innovation work, I have held strategic leadership roles influencing AHP and primary care workforce development, service transformation, and digital innovation across health and care systems. An alumna of the King’s Fund Clinical Leaders and Health Inequalities Leadership Programmes, and trained as a Microsystems Improvement Coach and PRINCE2 Programme Manager, I understand the realities of health and social care systems, the high expectations, limited resources, and pressures on leaders, teams, and educators. My approach is grounded in practical, evidence-based, and collaborative solutions that aim to improve outcomes for patients, carers, and professionals alike.
- Qualifications
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PhD in Stroke Rehabilitation
Master's Degree in Clinical Research
Post Graduate Certificate in Leadership in Health and Social Care
BSc Hons Degree in Occupational Therapy.
I am also a trained service improvement coach (Microsystems Academy) and a PRINCE 2 Programme manager. I also have qualifications Level 1 and 2 in Foundation Level Public Health.
- Research interests
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My research interests focus on stroke rehabilitation, particularly supporting people with eating and drinking difficulties and exploring the use of assistive technologies to improve patient outcomes. I am also interested in primary care workforce development, with a focus on multidisciplinary team (MDT) approaches and proactive care models. In addition, I have a strong interest in digital innovation and how it can be used to enhance care delivery and improve patient outcomes.
- Publications
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Featured publications
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All publications
Journal articles
- . BMJ Leader.
- . Disability and Rehabilitation, 1-14.
- . BMC Research Notes, 16.
- . Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology, 46(6), 536-546.
- . British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 85(1), 50-61.
- . British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 84(4), 197-199.
- . British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 84(2), 69-71.
- . British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83(10), 648-658.
- . British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82(1), 60-64.
- . British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 81(2), 106-115.
Conference proceedings
- Occupational therapy leadership placements: how business planning can lead to the creation of a new role. BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, Vol. 86(1) (pp 60-60)
- Learning from student placements: how to make a convincing case for occupational therapy in primary care using service evaluation data. BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, Vol. 86(1) (pp 64-64)
- Co-designing an implementation toolkit for breakfast group interventions in stroke rehabilitation: how patients and informal carers shaped the end product. BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, Vol. 86(1) (pp 5-6)
- A qualitative systematic review investigating the views of stroke survivors, formal and informal carers on the psychosocial impact of eating and drinking difficulties. BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, Vol. 86(1) (pp 71-72)
- BREAKFAST INTERVENTIONS IN STROKE REHABILITATION (BISTRO). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, Vol. 16(3_SUPPL) (pp 47-47)
- BUILDING ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS (AHP) RESEARCH CAPACITY: THE IMPACT OF INTRODUCING AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST INTO A NURSE-LED CLINICAL RESEARCH FACILITY. BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, Vol. 82 (pp 16-16)
Posters
- Collaboration aiming to build occupational therapy research and improve healthcare outcomes.
Preprints
- , Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
- Research group
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1. Health Services and Social Research - Theme- Rehabilitation
2. Aging and Primary Care Research- theme health inequalities
- Grants
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1. NIHR510560 Senior Research Leader April 2026- March 2029
2. NIHR DSE Post Doctoral Award 2024- 2026 3. NIHR00529 DECAF 2020-2023
- Teaching interests
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My teaching interests focus on stroke rehabilitation and the psychosocial impacts of eating and drinking difficulties, alongside the use of assistive and digital technologies to enhance patient outcomes. I am particularly interested in how digital innovation can support rehabilitation, including the use of telehealth and telecare technologies to improve multidisciplinary team (MDT) working, enable remote assessment, such as virtual home visits, and support research delivery in online environments. I also have a strong interest in preparing students for contemporary occupational therapy practice, including working with complexity, evidence-informed decision making, and the transition into professional roles within evolving health and care systems.
- Teaching activities
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My teaching interests centre on stroke rehabilitation and the psychosocial impacts of eating and drinking difficulties. I am an Associate Lecturer on the undergraduate and postgraduate Occupational Therapy programmes at Sheffield Hallam University, where I contribute to modules including Exploring Occupational Therapy Practice, Transition to OT Practice, Assessing and Addressing Complexity, and Evidence and Inquiry for Practice. I also teach on a dysphagia module delivered by the ±¬ÁÏTV, with a focus on eating and drinking rehabilitation. In addition, I have contributed to teaching on research knowledge mobilisation and dissemination, including research impact data collection and the development of research impact case studies.
- Professional activities and memberships
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My professional activities span clinical practice, research, leadership, and consultancy across health and care systems. Alongside my academic and clinical roles, I lead an independent consultancy supporting health and care organisations, charities, and professionals to strengthen leadership, workforce development, and service quality. This includes work in reflective supervision, mentoring, service evaluation, and co-design, with a focus on enabling collaborative, person-centred, and sustainable change.
I am actively involved in workforce development and multidisciplinary working, supporting teams to build capacity, improve integration, and embed evidence-informed practice. My work is grounded in both academic research and extensive NHS experience, with a strong emphasis on translating evidence into meaningful improvements in practice and outcomes.
I am a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), maintaining active engagement with professional networks and contributing to the advancement of Occupational Therapy practice, research, and policy. 1. Research Lead for the Royal College of Occupational Therapy Primary Care Community of Practice. 2. Chair of the South Yorkshire AHP Research and Innovation Network 3. Chair of the South Yorkshire Occupational Therapy Leaders Network 4. Trustee Darnall Wellbeing. 5. Expert Reference Group Member AHP Workforce Research Partnership (WRaP) £4,478,396.67 https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR160536 Programme Sub-committee 6. Expert Reference Group Member 7. Expert Reference Group NIHR-funded REMAP project (a realist evaluation of multi-professional advanced practice in primary care. 8. Expert Reference Stakeholder Group 'Employing realist methods to understand how, why and for whom occupational therapy works in primary care'- Funded by the Elizabeth Casson Trust.