Dr Jane Ferguson

Health Services Management Centre
Assistant Professor
Athena Swan Academic Lead

Contact details

Address
Park House
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2RT

Dr Jane Ferguson is an Assistant Professor at the Health Services Management Centre. She is interested in the quality, safety and the healthcare workforce. 

ORCID

Google Scholar

Qualifications

  • PhD in Social Pharmacy, University of Manchester, 2012 
  • MSc Applied Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, 2005
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, 2003

Biography

Jane was previously at the University of Manchester from 2007 when she joined as a PhD student. She completed her PhD in the Centre for Pharmacy Workforce Studies before working on a number of healthcare workforce related research projects. Before joining HSMC in May 2023, Jane worked in the Health Management Group where she was a cohort director on the ‘Elizabeth Garrett Anderson’ NHS Leadership Academy programme and a co-applicant on NIHR funded projects.

Teaching

Jane is the programme director for the Health and Care System Leadership Level 7 Apprenticeship.

Postgraduate supervision

Jane is interested in supervising projects relating to the healthcare workforce.

Research

Jane has an interest in the healthcare workforce and the sociology of the healthcare professions. Jane’s research focusses on the nature of modern professionalism in healthcare organisations, and its interaction with contemporary issues such as professional governance and regulation, the changing nature of the professional workforce, and the impact of workforce reforms and other changes on the quality and safety of care. Jane collaborates with health economists, health policy specialists, doctors and other healthcare professionals on a number of research projects related to the healthcare workforce. 

Current projects 

January 2023 - August 2025
Co-I: Quality, safety and clinical governance in NHS and independent hospitals: lessons from the interface
National Institute for Health and Care Research £990,988.55

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Stringer, G, Grigoroglou, C, Walshe, K, Ferguson, J, Allen, T, Anderson, M, Bloor, K, Gee, E & Gutacker, N 2026, 'Public service and private profit: a mixed methods study of cataract surgery in England', Health economics, policy and law. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1744133126100486

Ferguson, J, Stringer, G, Walshe, K, Allen, T, Grigoroglou, C, Kontopantelis, E & Ashcroft, DM 2025, 'Locum doctor working: A qualitative exploration of the implications for learning and professional development', Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.70099

Stringer, G, Ferguson, J, Walshe, K, Allen, T, Grigoroglou, C, Kontopantelis, E & Ashcroft , D 2025, 'What seems to be the problem? Locum doctors, liminality and concerns about performance', Social Science and Medicine, vol. 383, 118489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118489

Grigoroglou, C, Walshe, K, Kontopantelis, E, Ferguson, J, Stringer, G, Ashcroft, DM & Allen, T 2024, 'Comparing the clinical practice and prescribing safety of locum and permanent doctors: observational study of primary care consultations in England', BMC medicine, vol. 22, no. 1, 126. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03332-z

Ferguson, J, Stringer, G, Walshe, K, Allen, T, Grigoroglou, C, Ashcroft, DM & Kontopantelis, E 2024, 'Locum doctor working and quality and safety: a qualitative study in English primary and secondary care', BMJ Quality & Safety. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2023-016699

Ferguson, J, Stringer, G, Walshe, K, Donnelly, A, Grigoroglou, C, Allen, T, Kontopantelis, E & Ashcroft, DM 2024, '‘None of Them Know Me’: A Qualitative Study of the Implications of Locum Doctor Working for Patient Experience', Health Expectations, vol. 27, no. 4, e14156. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.14156

Stringer, G, Ferguson, J, Walshe, K, Grigoroglou, C, Allen, T, Kontopantelis, E & Ashcroft, DM 2023, 'The use of locum doctors in the NHS – results of a national survey of NHS Trusts in England', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 23, no. 1, 889. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09830-9

Grigoroglou, C, Walshe, K, Kontopantelis, E, Ferguson, J, Stringer, G, Ashcroft, D & Allen, T 2023, 'Use of locum doctors in NHS trusts in England: Analysis of routinely collected workforce data 2019-2021', BMJ Open, vol. 13, no. 6, e065803. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065803

Grigoroglou, C, Walshe, K, Kontopanteli, E, Ferguson, J, Stringer, G, Ashcroft, DM & Allen, T 2022, 'Locum doctor use in English general practice: analysis of routinely collected workforce data 2017–2020', British Journal of General Practice, vol. 72, no. 715, pp. e108-e117. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2021.0311

Brunton, L, Tazzyman, A, Ferguson, J, Hodgson, D & Nelson, PA 2022, 'The challenges of integrating signposting into general practice: qualitative stakeholder perspectives on care navigation and social prescribing in primary care', BMC Primary Care, vol. 23, no. 1, 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-022-01669-z

Astbury, J, Ferguson, J, Silverthorne, J, Willis, S & Schafheutle, E 2021, 'High-fidelity simulation-based education in pre-registration healthcare programmes: a systematic review of reviews to inform collaborative and interprofessional best practice', Journal of Interprofessional Care, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 622-632. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2020.1762551

Ferguson, J, Tazzyman, A, Walshe, K, Bryce, M, Boyd, A, Archer, J, Price, T & Tredinnick-Rowe, J 2021, '‘You're just a locum’: professional identity and temporary workers in the medical profession', Sociology of Health and Illness, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 149-166. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13210

Ferguson, J, Astbury, J, Willis, S, Silverthorne, J & Schafheutle, E 2020, 'Implementing, embedding and sustaining simulation-based education: What helps, what hinders', Medical Education, vol. 54, no. 10, pp. 915-924. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14182

Tazzyman, A, Ferguson, J, Boyd, A, Bryce, M, Tredinnick-Rowe, J, Price, T & Walshe, K 2020, 'Reforming medical regulation: a qualitative study of the implementation of medical revalidation in England, using Normalization Process Theory', Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 30-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/1355819619848017

Comment/debate

Mannion, R, Ferguson, J, Aunger, J & Maben, J 2026, 'Addressing unprofessional behaviour in the NHS', British Journal of Healthcare Management, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 1-3. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjhc.2026.0024

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