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HomeAcademic staffDr Thomas Mills
Dr Thomas Mills

Dr Thomas Mills

millst3@lsbu.ac.uk

Social Work, Community and Public Health

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2599-8930

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I am a Public Health Senior Research Fellow for PHIRST South Bank, funded by the National Institute for Health Research. Since completing my PhD in 2016, I've contributed to diverse health service and public health research projects and I have ongoing collaborations with colleagues across London South Bank University, University of Leeds and University of York.

I have expertise in complex intervention research, with a particular interest in creative, qualitative modelling in evaluations. My biggest research achievement to date is a 2019 methods paper ‘Advancing complexity science in healthcare research: the logic of logic models’ on this topic. This has been cited 100 plus times at the time of writing (with 14k accesses) and is referred to in the updated Medical Research Council guidance on complex interventions.

I am Member of the Trial Steering Committee for a major NIHR trial evaluating Biomarker Driven Antifungal Stewardship in Acute Leukaemia, based at the University of York.

My current PHIRST projects consist of a community-led, regional effort to reduce gambling-related harms, a substance misuse intervention for custody suite referrals and a stop smoking service.

I'm interested in "big picture" theorisations of complex interventions and am currently exploring how social theory, notably Jurgen Habermas' ideas, can help us understand the problems and contexts of public health interventions.

PhD

University of Westminster

2011
2016
FunderYear wonProjectRole
Gambling with Lives2024ACH_Evaluation_Gambling with livesPrincipal Investigator
University of New South Wales, Sydney
Other

I was conferred the title of Adjunct Fellow by the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales, Sydney in recognition of research excellence. I have contributed guest lectures and curriculum development to a Master's module, based at the School, in Implementation Science.

Logic modelling

September 2022
September 2025
University of York/NIHR

I am Member of the Trial/Study Steering Committee for a randomised control study of biomarker driven antifungal stewardship in acute leukaemia. I provide process evaluation expertise.

This funded by NIHR: https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR132674

University of Leeds

I am providing informal PhD supervision, after the research team requested methodological advice on logic models.

October 2022

Advancing Complexity Theory in Health Services Research: The Logic of Logic Models
Mills, T., Lawton, R. and Sheard, L. (2019). Advancing Complexity Theory in Health Services Research: The Logic of Logic Models. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 19 (55). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-019-0701-4

‘Odds Are: They Win’: a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry
T. Mills, J. Grimes, E. Caddick, C.L. Jenkins, J. Evans, A. Moss, J. Wills and S. Sykes (2023). ‘Odds Are: They Win’: a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry. Public Health. 224, pp. 41-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.08.009

Integration of a clinical pharmacist workforce into newly forming primary care networks: a qualitatively driven, complex systems analysis
Mills, T., Madden, M., Stewart, D., Gough, B. and McCambridge, J. (2022). Integration of a clinical pharmacist workforce into newly forming primary care networks: a qualitatively driven, complex systems analysis. BMJ Open. 12 (11). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066025

Development of a ‘real-world’ logic model through testing the feasibility of a complex healthcare intervention: the challenge of reconciling scalability and context-sensitivity
Mills, T., Shannon, R., O'Hara, J., Lawton, R. and Sheard, L. Development of a ‘real-world’ logic model through testing the feasibility of a complex healthcare intervention: the challenge of reconciling scalability and context-sensitivity. Evaluation. https://doi.org/10.1177/13563890211068869

Improving Patient Experience in Hospital Settings: Assessing the Role of Toolkits and Action Research through a Process Evaluation of a Complex Intervention
Mills, T., Lawton, R. and Sheard, L. (2019). Improving Patient Experience in Hospital Settings: Assessing the Role of Toolkits and Action Research through a Process Evaluation of a Complex Intervention. Qualitative Health Research. 29 (14), pp. 2108 - 2118. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732319855960

Early implementation of the structured medication review in England: a qualitative study.
Madden, M., Mills, T., Atkin, K., Stewart, D. and McCambridge, J. (2022). Early implementation of the structured medication review in England: a qualitative study. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners. https://doi.org/BJGP.2022.0014

Harnessing lived experience in a community-based intervention to address gambling-related harms
Jenkins, C, Mills, T, Reavey, P, Moss, A, Sykes, S, Wills, J and Grimes, J (2023). Harnessing lived experience in a community-based intervention to address gambling-related harms. European Journal of Public Health. 33 (Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.1654

Steering, Knowledge and the Challenge of Governance Evaluation: The Case of National Health Service Governance and Reform in England
Greenwood, D and Mills, T. (2019). Steering, Knowledge and the Challenge of Governance Evaluation: The Case of National Health Service Governance and Reform in England. Administration and Society. 52 (7). https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399719883564

The Association Between Health Care Staff Engagement and Patient Safety Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Janes, G., Mills, T., Budworth, L., Johnson, J. and Lawton, R. (2021). The Association Between Health Care Staff Engagement and Patient Safety Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Patient Safety. 17 (3), pp. 207-216. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000807

Alcohol, the overlooked drug: clinical pharmacist perspectives on addressing alcohol in primary care.
Madden, M., Stewart, D., Mills, T. and McCambridge, J. (2023). Alcohol, the overlooked drug: clinical pharmacist perspectives on addressing alcohol in primary care. Addiction science & clinical practice. 18 (1), p. 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-023-00378-x

Consultation skills development in general practice: findings from a qualitative study of newly recruited and more experienced clinical pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Madden, M., Stewart, D., Mills, T. and McCambridge, J. (2023). Consultation skills development in general practice: findings from a qualitative study of newly recruited and more experienced clinical pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open. 13 (4), p. e069017. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069017

Improving patient experience and safety at transitions of care through the Your Care Needs You (YCNY) intervention: a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial
Baxter, R., Murray, J., O'Hara, J., Hewitt, C., Richardson, G., Cockayne, S., Sheard, L., Mills, T. and Lawton, R. (2022). Improving patient experience and safety at transitions of care through the Your Care Needs You (YCNY) intervention: a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 6 (123). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-020-00655-5

Using qualitative process evaluation in the development of a complex intervention to advance person-centred practice by pharmacists: The Medicines and Alcohol Consultation (MAC)
Madden, M., Morris, S., Stewart, D., Atkin, K., Gough, B., Mills, T. and McCambridge, J. (2021). Using qualitative process evaluation in the development of a complex intervention to advance person-centred practice by pharmacists: The Medicines and Alcohol Consultation (MAC). Social Science and Medicine - Qualitative Research in Health. 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2021.100012

Using patient experience data to develop a patient experience toolkit to improve hospital care: a mixed-methods study
Sheard, L., Marsh, C., Mills, T., Peacock, R., Langley, J., Partridge, R., Gwilt, I. and Lawton, R. (2019). Using patient experience data to develop a patient experience toolkit to improve hospital care: a mixed-methods study. NIHR, Health Services and Delivery Research . https://doi.org/10.3310/hsdr07360

A qualitative formative evaluation of a patient facing intervention to improve care transitions for older people moving from hospital to home
Shannon, R., Baxter, R., Hardicre, N., Mills, T., Murray, J., Lawton, R. and O'Hara, J. (2022). A qualitative formative evaluation of a patient facing intervention to improve care transitions for older people moving from hospital to home. Health Expectations. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13560

Improving the safety and experience of transitions from hospital to home: a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial of the ’Your Care Needs You’ intervention versus usual care
Baxter, R., Murray, J., Cockayne, S., Baird, K., Mandefield, L., Mills, T., Lawton, R., Hewitt, C., Richardson, G., Sheard, L. and O.Hara, J. (2022). Improving the safety and experience of transitions from hospital to home: a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial of the ’Your Care Needs You’ intervention versus usual care. Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 8 (222). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-022-01180-3

Multiple meanings of resilience: Health professionals' experiences of a dual element training intervention designed to help them prepare for coping with error
Janes, G., Harrison, R., Johnson, J., Simms-Ellis, R., Mills, T. and Lawton, R. (2021). Multiple meanings of resilience: Health professionals' experiences of a dual element training intervention designed to help them prepare for coping with error. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 28. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.13555

Can we prepare healthcare professionals and students for involvement in stressful healthcare events? A mixed-methods evaluation of a resilience training intervention
Johnson, J., Simms-Ellis, R., Janes, G., Mills, T., Budworth, L., Atkinson, L. and Reema, H. (2020). Can we prepare healthcare professionals and students for involvement in stressful healthcare events? A mixed-methods evaluation of a resilience training intervention. BMC Health Services Research. 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05948-2

Losing Control Again? Power and the quality of working life
Mills, T. and Overell, S. (2010). Losing Control Again? Power and the quality of working life. The Work Foundation.

National Patient Safety Alerts: An Exploration of How Trusts Coordinate their Responses
Mills, T., Atkinson, L., Janes, G. and Lawton, R. (2019). National Patient Safety Alerts: An Exploration of How Trusts Coordinate their Responses. NHS.

Improving transitions from hospital to home: Using ‘real world’ logic models to derive learning from a feasibility trial of a ‘hybrid intervention’
Mills, T., Baxter, R., Shannon, R., Murray, J., Lawton, R. and O'Hara, J. (2020). Improving transitions from hospital to home: Using ‘real world’ logic models to derive learning from a feasibility trial of a ‘hybrid intervention’. Health Services Research UK.

Between interventions and systems: A proposal for ‘real world’ logic models
Mills, T. (2019). Between interventions and systems: A proposal for ‘real world’ logic models. Improving Patient Safety Conference. Oct 2019

Developing, implementing and evaluating the Yorkshire Patient Experience Toolkit (PET): How process evaluation can strengthen action research
Mills, T., Lawton, R. and Sheard, L. (2019). Developing, implementing and evaluating the Yorkshire Patient Experience Toolkit (PET): How process evaluation can strengthen action research. Health Services Research UK.

Advancing Complexity Science in Healthcare Research: The Logic of Logic Models
Mills, T., Lawton, R. and Sheard, L. (2018). Advancing Complexity Science in Healthcare Research: The Logic of Logic Models. Health Services Research UK.

Exploring the Economic Dimensions of Complexity: A Post-Positivist Evaluation of Diabetes Policy and Governance
Mills, T. (2017). Exploring the Economic Dimensions of Complexity: A Post-Positivist Evaluation of Diabetes Policy and Governance. "We Need to Talk About Complexity": Oxford University Talks. Green Templeton College, University of Oxford 13 - 14 Jun 2017

Dialectical thinking and the 'economic determinants' of performance: What Marxism can contribute to health services research in an age of complexity
Mills, T. (2019). Dialectical thinking and the 'economic determinants' of performance: What Marxism can contribute to health services research in an age of complexity. British Sociological Association: Medical Sociology.

Evaluation of a city-region initiative to galvanise a community response to gambling-related harms
Jenkins, C and Mills, T (2023). Evaluation of a city-region initiative to galvanise a community response to gambling-related harms. European Journal of Public Health. 33 (Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.676

Involving Lived Experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’
Jenkins, C., Mills, T., Grimes J, Bland C, Reavey, P., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2024). Involving Lived Experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’. BMC Public Health. 24, p. 384. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3658745/v1