Dr Clare Macdonald MBBS, PhD, DRCOG, MRCGP

Dr Clare Macdonald

Department of Applied Health Sciences
NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer – General Practice

Contact details

Email
c.macdonald@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Murray Learning Centre
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Clare Macdonald is an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in General Practice. Her research focuses on women’s health, in particular postnatal care in primary care. Clare works clinically as a GP in Leicester. Her PhD was funded by the NIHR ARC West Midlands Maternity Theme and explored the maternal postnatal 6-8 week GP consultation. Clare has a longstanding interest in postnatal care and infant feeding. She was the GP committee member for the current NICE Postnatal Care Clinical Guideline and is a founder-member of the Board of GPs Championing Perinatal Care (GPCPC). Clare works clinically as a GP in Leicester, having completed her medical training in Norfolk and Derbyshire.

Qualifications

  • PhD University of Birmingham, 2025
  • MRCGP Royal College of General Practitioners, 2014
  • DRCOG Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2010
  • MBBS University of East Anglia, 2007

Other activities

  • GPs Championing Perinatal Care (GPCPC) – Board Member (Chair 2023-2025)
  • GP Infant Feeding Network (UK) - Team Member 2016-present
  • NICE Guideline Committee Member - Postnatal Care 2017-2021

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Macdonald, C, Cross-Sudworth, F, Quinn, L, MacArthur, C, Bick, D, Jones, E & Taylor, B 2025, 'Content and timing of the 6-8 week maternal postnatal check: a mixed methods study', BJGP Open, vol. 9, no. 2, 0229. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2024.0229

Macdonald, C, MacGregor, B, Hillman, S, MacArthur, C, Bick, D & Taylor, B 2023, 'Qualitative systematic review of general practitioners' (GPs') views and experiences of providing postnatal care', BMJ open, vol. 13, no. 4, e070005. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070005

Mavranezouli, I, Varley-Campbell, J, Stockton , S, Francis, J, Macdonald, C, Sharma, S, Fleming, P, Punter, E, Barry, C, Kallioinen, M, Khazaezadeh, N & Jewell, D 2022, 'The cost-effectiveness of antenatal and postnatal education and support interventions for women aimed at promoting breastfeeding in the UK', BMC Public Health, vol. 22, 153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12446-5

Stenberg, A, Macdonald, C & Hunter, PR 2008, 'How effective is good domestic kitchen hygiene at reducing diarrhoeal disease in developed countries? A systematic review and reanalysis of the UK IID study', BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-71

Macdonald, C, Stenberg, A & Hunter, PR 2007, 'A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions used to reduce exposure to house dust and their effect on the development and severity of asthma', Perspectives in Public Health, vol. 115, no. 12, pp. 1691-5.

Comment/debate

Macdonald, C, Santhanam, L, Shakespeare, J & Meeajan, R 2024, 'Maternal postnatal care in general practice: steps forward ', British Journal of General Practice , vol. 74, no. 748, pp. 492-492. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp24x739725

Macdonald, C 2017, 'Primary care can play an important part in supporting breast feeding', British Medical Journal. <https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2017/05/08/primary-care-can-play-an-important-part-in-supporting-breast-feeding/>

Editorial

Macdonald, C & Dapre, E 2025, 'Perinatal care in primary care for cardiovascular risk reduction', Clinical Medicine, vol. 25, no. 2, 100297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinme.2025.100297

Macdonald, C, Sharma, S, Kallioinen, M & Jewell, D 2021, 'Postnatal care: new NICE guideline for the ‘Cinderella service’', British Journal of General Practice , vol. 71, no. 710, pp. 394-395. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp21X716825

Review article

MacGregor, B, Madejowski, S, Leach, H, Macdonald, C, Dale, J, Grove, A, Heazell, AEP, Parsons, J, Staniszewska, S & Hillman, S 2025, 'Interventions to Improve Outcomes After Pregnancy Loss: A Systematic Review', BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.70043

View all publications in research portal