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Dr Thomas Purchase
MBChB BSc (Hons) MRCGP PGCert (Epidemiology) PGCert (Human Factors for Patient Safety)
Teams and roles for Thomas Purchase
Health and Care Research Wales NIHR Doctoral Fellow
Overview
I am a General Practitioner and Health and Care Research Wales NIHR Doctoral Fellow based in the Department of Population Medicine, Cardiff University. My research focuses on improving healthcare safety for vulnerable patient groups through the analysis of patient safety data and the application of systems-based approaches to understanding healthcare delivery.
I have a particular interest in patient safety, systems thinking, and Human Factors and Ergonomics, using these approaches to understand how people, processes, technologies, and organisations interact within complex healthcare systems. My work aims to identify opportunities for system redesign that support safer, more effective, and more equitable care.
Publication
2026
- McFadzean, J. et al. 2026. Parental involvement in patient safety events in paediatric emergency care: a multi-method analysis. BMJ Paediatrics Open 10 e004794. (10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004794)
- Purchase, T. 2026. Parents as partners - Improving paediatric safety in general practice [Podcast]. BJGP Interviews. Available at: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/850e011c-c3b3-4c08-aaf4-b2b5ac6b4910/.
- Purchase, T. et al. 2026. Fighting to be heard: Thematic analysis of parent perspectives of safety in general practice. British Journal of General Practice (10.3399/BJGP.2025.0651)
- Purchase, T. et al. 2026. Co-generating ideas for safer paediatric care in general practice with parents and stakeholders. British Journal of General Practice (10.3399/BJGP.2025.0690)
2025
- Purchase, T. et al. 2025. Parental involvement in paediatric patient safety incidents in general practice: a cross-sectional study. British Journal of General Practice 0786. (10.3399/BJGP.2024.0786)
- McFadzean, I. J. et al. 2025. The evolution of patient-reported safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic within a series of study questionnaires: a multi-method analysis. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 37 (2) mzaf040. (10.1093/intqhc/mzaf040)
2024
- Carson-Stevens, A. et al. 2024. Understanding the scale and nature of avoidable healthcare-associated harm for prisoners in England: protocol for a retrospective cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 14 (12) e085607. (10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085607)
- Shaw, J. et al., 2024. Understanding the scale and nature of avoidable harm in prison healthcare. Project Report.
- Ball, E. et al., 2024. 6637 How do families mitigate paediatric safety incidents in emergency departments? A multi-method national analysis of incident reports. Archives of Disease in Childhood 109 , pp.A400-A401. (10.1136/archdischild-2024-rcpch.629)
2023
- Purchase, T. et al. 2023. Human factors to improve patient safety. In: Patient Safety. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. , pp.45-60. (10.1007/978-3-031-35933-0_4)
- Purchase, T. et al. 2023. Analysis of applying a patient safety taxonomy to patient and clinician-reported incident reports during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study. BMC Medical Research Methodology 23 (1) 234. (10.1186/s12874-023-02057-6)
- Ball, E. , Purchase, T. and Morgan, J. 2023. Review of the 2021 Resuscitation Council United Kingdom guideline for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Education & Practice 108 , pp.296-300. (10.1136/archdischild-2022-324432)
- McFadzean, I. J. et al. 2023. Patient safety in prisons: a multi-method analysis of reported incidents in England. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 116 (7), pp.236-245. (10.1177/01410768231166138)
- Rees, P. et al. 2023. Family role in paediatric safety incidents: a retrospective study protocol. BMJ Open 13 (7) e075058. (10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075058)
- Keers, R. N. et al., 2023. Defining avoidable healthcare-associated harm in prisons: a mixed-method development study. PLoS ONE 18 (3) e0282021. (10.1371/journal.pone.0282021)
- Bowie, P. et al., 2023. Patient safety learning for healthcare improvement: considering the "system context" in medico-legal cases?. Journal of Personal Injury Law
2022
- Purchase, T. et al. 2022. Polypharmacy and smoking as potentially modifiable risk factors associated with symptom severity in men with lower urinary tract symptoms in primary care: findings from the PriMUS study. European Urology Focus 8 (1), pp.8-10. (10.1016/j.euf.2022.01.001)
2013
- Purchase, T. C. et al. 2013. A survey on knowledge of female genital mutilation guidelines. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 92 (7), pp.858-861. (10.1111/aogs.12144)
Articles
- McFadzean, J. et al. 2026. Parental involvement in patient safety events in paediatric emergency care: a multi-method analysis. BMJ Paediatrics Open 10 e004794. (10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004794)
- Purchase, T. et al. 2026. Fighting to be heard: Thematic analysis of parent perspectives of safety in general practice. British Journal of General Practice (10.3399/BJGP.2025.0651)
- Purchase, T. et al. 2026. Co-generating ideas for safer paediatric care in general practice with parents and stakeholders. British Journal of General Practice (10.3399/BJGP.2025.0690)
- Purchase, T. et al. 2025. Parental involvement in paediatric patient safety incidents in general practice: a cross-sectional study. British Journal of General Practice 0786. (10.3399/BJGP.2024.0786)
- McFadzean, I. J. et al. 2025. The evolution of patient-reported safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic within a series of study questionnaires: a multi-method analysis. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 37 (2) mzaf040. (10.1093/intqhc/mzaf040)
- Carson-Stevens, A. et al. 2024. Understanding the scale and nature of avoidable healthcare-associated harm for prisoners in England: protocol for a retrospective cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 14 (12) e085607. (10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085607)
- Ball, E. et al., 2024. 6637 How do families mitigate paediatric safety incidents in emergency departments? A multi-method national analysis of incident reports. Archives of Disease in Childhood 109 , pp.A400-A401. (10.1136/archdischild-2024-rcpch.629)
- Purchase, T. et al. 2023. Analysis of applying a patient safety taxonomy to patient and clinician-reported incident reports during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study. BMC Medical Research Methodology 23 (1) 234. (10.1186/s12874-023-02057-6)
- Ball, E. , Purchase, T. and Morgan, J. 2023. Review of the 2021 Resuscitation Council United Kingdom guideline for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Education & Practice 108 , pp.296-300. (10.1136/archdischild-2022-324432)
- McFadzean, I. J. et al. 2023. Patient safety in prisons: a multi-method analysis of reported incidents in England. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 116 (7), pp.236-245. (10.1177/01410768231166138)
- Rees, P. et al. 2023. Family role in paediatric safety incidents: a retrospective study protocol. BMJ Open 13 (7) e075058. (10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075058)
- Keers, R. N. et al., 2023. Defining avoidable healthcare-associated harm in prisons: a mixed-method development study. PLoS ONE 18 (3) e0282021. (10.1371/journal.pone.0282021)
- Bowie, P. et al., 2023. Patient safety learning for healthcare improvement: considering the "system context" in medico-legal cases?. Journal of Personal Injury Law
- Purchase, T. et al. 2022. Polypharmacy and smoking as potentially modifiable risk factors associated with symptom severity in men with lower urinary tract symptoms in primary care: findings from the PriMUS study. European Urology Focus 8 (1), pp.8-10. (10.1016/j.euf.2022.01.001)
- Purchase, T. C. et al. 2013. A survey on knowledge of female genital mutilation guidelines. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 92 (7), pp.858-861. (10.1111/aogs.12144)
Book sections
- Purchase, T. et al. 2023. Human factors to improve patient safety. In: Patient Safety. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. , pp.45-60. (10.1007/978-3-031-35933-0_4)
Monographs
- Shaw, J. et al., 2024. Understanding the scale and nature of avoidable harm in prison healthcare. Project Report.
Videos
Research
Current fellowship (September 2024–Present)
IncorporAting parental health aDVOcaCy when mAnaging unwell Children in primarY care (ADVOCACY): a multi-methods systems approach to co-develop a complex intervention
Funded through a Health and Care Research Wales NIHR Doctoral Fellowship, the ADVOCACY study explores how parental advocacy operates within healthcare systems when children become unwell. The study aims to understand how, when, and why parents speak up for their children; identify factors that support or hinder effective advocacy; and generate evidence to inform the co-development of an intervention that helps parents and healthcare professionals work together to reduce healthcare-associated harm.
Previous research grant (April 2023–July 2025)
Understanding the role of parents in paediatric safety incidents in general practice: a mixed-methods study to develop harm reduction strategies
Funded by the RCGP Scientific Foundation Board, this study explored how parents contribute to paediatric patient safety in general practice through analysis of national patient safety incident reports, parent workshops, and stakeholder engagement. The research highlighted parents' important role in identifying and preventing safety incidents, explored their experiences of advocating for their children, and co-generated practical safety improvement ideas with parents and healthcare stakeholders. The resulting recommendations focused on strengthening communication, supporting parental advocacy, improving access to information, and embedding parent perspectives within safety improvement efforts. Findings from this study have been published in the British Journal of General Practice and featured on the BJGP Podcast
Biography
Professional memberships
Co-lead for a special interest group (SIG) for Quality and Safety Improvement in Primary Care within the Society of Academic Primary Care (SAPC) (June 2023 - Present).
Member of the Welsh Ergonomics and Safer Patients Alliance (WESPA) (Sept 2021 - Present). In November 2024 the group won a Cardiff University Award for Excellence in Voluntary Contribution.
Academic positions
Sept 2024 - present: HCRW NIHR Doctoral Fellow
Sept 2021 - Aug 2024: Associate Academic GP Fellow