In January 2022 the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University (IMH) commissioned me to research and write a report on the challenges and opportunities currently facing the field of medical humanities. The finished report was published in September 2022.
The report was part of a process of reflection and reprioritisation triggered by the appointment of a new Institute Director, Prof Angela Woods. Angela and her team wanted to look beyond the bounds of Durham University, and indeed the UK, to identify both successes and barriers to progress. They also wanted to explore where change or adaptation might be needed to allow medical humanities and the people who work within and around it to thrive.
I was brought in as an independent consultant, under the guidance of Prof Woods and IMH Manager Evelyn Tehrani, to design the methodology, carry out the research, analyse and distill the evidence, compile the report, and design the final report layout.