Professor Philippa Hunter-Jones PhD

My primary research interest is linked to the patient experience. Within this theme I am involved in supervising PhD students and working with practitioners on projects linked to primary healthcare; acute healthcare; care homes and end-of-life care.

I have a further research interest which focuses upon the relationships between tourism consumer behaviour and health. I am particularly interested in exploring the circumstances of those who travel with pre-existing health conditions (eg chronic, progressive and terminal conditions) and completed a PhD in 2001 in this area. Alongside this I have a general interest in the tourism consumer behaviour of other marginalised/hidden consumers (eg informal carers), in the wider field of travel-related illnesses and the relationship between charities and tourism.

I am really interested in sharing knowledge and have worked on a number of projects, particularly in education thus far, underpinned by a communities of practice framework:

‘Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an on-going basis (...).These people don’t necessarily work together every day, but they meet because they find value in their interactions’. (Wenger et al, 2002, p.4.)

I am really interested in extending this work into the healthcare environment and am currently working on a project: Working Conversations, which seeks to do this within the context of mental wellbeing.