Professor Jayne Brown

Job: Professor of Palliative Care

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Nursing and Midwifery

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH.

T: +44 (0)116 201 3961

E: jbrown@dmu.ac.uk

W: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/hls

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Research group affiliations

Centre for the Promotion of Excellence in Palliative Care (CPEP)
Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre
Health Policy Research Unit.

Publications and outputs

Safe visiting is essential for nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international perspective
Safe visiting is essential for nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international perspective Hinsliff-Smith, K.; Low, Lee-Fay; Devi, Reena; Spilsbury, Karen; Brown, Jayne; Sinhu, Samir; Stall, Nathan; Dow, Briony; Griffiths, Alys; Bergman, Christina; Verbeek, H.; Siette, J.; Backhaus, R.; Comas-Herrera, A. Blanket and total bans of nursing home visitors were widespread at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when governments and homes were unprepared to prevent and manage outbreaks. However, these visitor restrictions have been prolonged and often reinstated after having been lifted, despite increased home and health system readiness and mounting evidence of harms to residents. Further, in most nursing homes, visitor bans were introduced without discussion or consent from residents or their advocates, constituting a violation of the resident’s rights to have visitors. The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
2021 Report of the Evaluation of the Work.Live.Leicestershire Programme
2021 Report of the Evaluation of the Work.Live.Leicestershire Programme Blair, Krista; McGill, George; Gkiontsi, Dimitra; De Vries, Kay; Brown, Jayne; Clayton, David; Coleby, Dawn; Dunn, Andrew; Oviasu, Osaretin; Padley, Wendy The Work.Live.Leicestershire (WiLL) programme provided help to economically inactive or unemployed people in Leicestershire to move into job search, training, or employment. The programme aimed to help people into work or learning by improving their health and wellbeing, social engagement, and skills and work experience, and by supporting people as they volunteered, job searched or started a business. The programme was open to residents of rural Leicestershire who were economically inactive or unemployed, and targeted the areas of Hinckley and Bosworth, North West Leicestershire, Melton, and Harborough. As of November 2020, the programme had registered details of 535 participants1 (263 men and 266 women) across all age groups. 152 participants were 24 or under, and 158 participants were 51 or over. Of the participants registered, some will have just joined the programme, some will be part way through the programme, and some will have left the programme at various points after their initial engagement with WiLL. This report discusses findings from the second year of De Montfort University’s evaluation, focussing on programme results and how the programme supported people to address barriers to moving into work or learning. The programme is ongoing, and this report draws on data from both participants who had left the programme and those whose support was in progress.
Final Report: Leicester Ageing Together (LAT): Evaluation Report
Final Report: Leicester Ageing Together (LAT): Evaluation Report Hinsliff-Smith, kathryn; Brown, Jayne; Patel, Naina Executive Summary According to the Office for National Statics (2018) the UK population has been steadily getting older and this trend is projected to continue. In 2016, there were 11.8 million UK residents aged 65 years and over, representing 18% of the total population – 25 years before, there were 9.1 million, accounting for 15.8% of the population. Linked to these statistics over 9 million people in the UK – almost a fifth of the population – say they are always or often lonely, but almost two thirds feel uncomfortable admitting to it (British Red Cross and Co-Op, 2016) and over half (51%) of all people aged 75 and over live alone (ONS, 2010). The Leicester Ageing Together partnership, known as LAT, has been working since October 2015 to reduce isolation and loneliness in older people in Leicester. So far, they have reached almost 6,000 older people, nearly half of whom were aged 80 years plus. This large and extensive programme recruited over 1,300 volunteers, as well as funding local jobs worth £1.5 million. LAT is part of Ageing Better, a programme set up by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder to date of community activity in the UK. Ageing Better aimed to develop creative ways for older people to be actively involved in their local communities, helping to combat social isolation and loneliness. It was one of five major programmes set up by The National Lottery Community Fund to test and learn from new approaches to designing services which aimed to make people’s lives healthier and happier. This report commissioned by the LAT board in December 2018 was conducted by De Montfort University and reports the findings of a qualitative evaluation conducted at the end of the funding stream for the programme. The evaluation aimed to gauge the views and experiences of beneficiaries, stakeholders and provider organisations who were involved in the delivery of the programme. This evaluation was conducted over a four month period in early 2019 and where possible aimed to gain insights from across a range of ethnic groups, contexts and viewpoints. In total 50 participants shared their experiences of the programme, for which the evaluation team at De Montfort and LAT are extremely grateful. This report should be read with the understanding that the views shared in this report are not necessarily the views of everyone involved in the programme. They are time specific based on hindsight offering a snap shot of views at the end of the programme rather than throughout. The findings relate to data collected over a months in 2019 involving 50 participants who were at the time of data collection actively engaged in an activity as a beneficiary or were delivering programmes as a provider. The majority of the views shared in this report are generated from the 35 older people classed as the LAT programme beneficiaries with a further 15 interviews undertaken with provider and stakeholder organisations. This evaluation did not seek the views of the LAT board members. Ageing Better, the Big Lottery funders or organisations that were no longer offering LAT funded activities. The findings and therefore the recommendations are solely based on the evidence gathered during this evaluation exercise and it would be useful for these to be considered in light of the other extensive evaluations that have been commissioned not just for the Leicester programme but others commissioned across the sector. For example at the time of submitting this final report we understand there is an ongoing national evaluation by the Big Lottery which is anticipated to have cross cutting themes to other local evaluations. It would be wise, therefore, to review these in the context of Leicester and other UK Cities and similar programmes aimed to support loneliness and social isolation amongst older people (those aged over 50) and the communities to which they live. The report findings aim to capture the essence of the LAT programme including highlights, strengths and opportunities for future learning for similar programmes of activity.
Leicester Ageing Together (LAT), Qualitative Evaluation, Preliminary Reporting July 2019
Leicester Ageing Together (LAT), Qualitative Evaluation, Preliminary Reporting July 2019 Hinsliff-Smith, Kathryn; Brown, Jayne; Patel, Naina Aims of the Presentation Provide an overview of the qualitative evaluation, how conducted, when and where Our preliminary findings from 3 groups: beneficiaries, providers and stakeholders Implications and next direction for the draft report
Disclosure in lesbian, gay and bisexual cancer care: towards a salutogenic healthcare environment
Disclosure in lesbian, gay and bisexual cancer care: towards a salutogenic healthcare environment Fish, Julie; Brown, Jayne; Williamson, I. Background: The literature on sexual orientation disclosure is arguably one of the most developed in the field of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in healthcare in English speaking countries however, relatively little research has been conducted into disclosure in cancer care. Studies have been mainly undertaken in primary care where distinct circumstances pertain and where the benefits of disclosure include obtaining appropriate health information, treatment advice and avoiding misdiagnosis. Methods: We conducted an in-depth qualitative study primarily recruiting patients through oncology care in hospital settings and through LGB community cancer support groups. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 30 LGB patients with different cancer types. Results: Data were analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted and interrogated through salutogenesis theory which offers a useful lens through which to consider the health promoting effects of sexual orientation disclosure in cancer care. We present three themes as part of the analysis: Authenticity as a driver for disclosure in cancer care, Partners as a (potential) salutogenic resource and Creating safe, healing environments conducive to disclosure. The findings are reported and discussed in relation to three inter-related concepts from current salutogenesis theorising including a sense of coherence, generalised resistance resources and healing environments which can facilitate sexual orientation disclosure. Conclusion: Our findings enable a more nuanced approach to understanding disclosure in this context. This study contributes to the literature through its articulation of the salutogenic potential of disclosure (if responded to appropriately) for LGB patients as individuals, in relationship to their partners or carers and the role of creating a visible healing-oriented optimal environment to promote quality of life and recovery. open access article
Work Live Leicestershire Summary Report
Work Live Leicestershire Summary Report Blair, Krista; Brown, Jayne; de Vries, Kay The Work.Live.Leicestershire (WiLL) programme is providing help for at least 541 economically inactive or unemployed people in Leicestershire to move into job search, training, or employment. The programme seeks to reach people living in many of the smallest rural communities, and at time of writing was open to any resident without work for four weeks or more. 43% of participants who were unemployed on entry to the programme had been out of work for 12 months or more.
Development of a tool to support managers in planning and evaluating staff training
Development of a tool to support managers in planning and evaluating staff training Padley, Wendy; Long, Jaqui; Welyczko, Nikki; Dowsett, Deborah; Salter, Nick; Ford, Karen; Greenway, Carol; Brown, Jayne Aim To explore decision-making and evaluation strategies used by healthcare managers in relation to staff training and education, and to develop a tool to support managers with these tasks. Method Using snowball sampling, 30 healthcare managers in a variety of healthcare settings were recruited and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Four overarching themes were identified in relation to decision-making regarding staff training: the nature and characteristics of courses relevant to practice; the effect of practice requirements for education and training; staff motivation and interest; and the process of staff selection for training. Managers did not use formal, structured processes to make decisions about staff selection for training, nor to evaluate the outcomes of the training. Instead, they largely relied on their personal experience, knowledge and professional judgements. Based on these findings, the study team developed the Assessment, Planning and Evaluation of Training (APET) tool to support the planning and evaluation of training, and they invited feedback from healthcare managers. Positive feedback suggests that this tool could support managers’ decision-making in relation to planning and evaluating staff training. Conclusion Healthcare managers’ decision-making in relation to the planning and evaluation of staff training relied on judgements based on their personal experience and knowledge. The APET tool developed by the study team has the potential to ensure vital resources such as time and money are used optimally, which would improve outcomes for staff, patients and healthcare organisations.
Coming 'Home": Place Bonding for parents accessing or considering hospice based care
Coming 'Home": Place Bonding for parents accessing or considering hospice based care Dunbar, Helena; Carter, Bernie; Brown, Jayne Little literature examines the cognitive journey taken by parents considering/receiving hospice care for their child. A constructivist grounded theory study explored 38 parents’ views of considering/using a children’s hospice. Data analysed from focus groups and interviews identified three main concepts. The focus of this paper is identified as Coming ‘Home’. This concept depicts the desire and the sense of searching that parents experienced in trying to find a place, other than their actual home, where their child could access a caring environment and their parents received some respite from caregiving. Despite there being a paradox associated with hospice-based respite, once they had crossed the threshold the parents bonded with the place and experienced rootedness and familiarity. The hospice became a place of living and belonging; a place where they could ‘come home’. This study was part of a Phd studentship The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
Healthcare for Older People Research in Leicestershire
Healthcare for Older People Research in Leicestershire Conroy, Simon; Brown, Jayne; Bell, Katie; Haunton, Victoria; Robinson, T. G.; Bannerjee, J.; Martin, G.; Regen, E.; Phelps, K; O'Kelly, K.; Kondova, D.; Williamson, I.; Wildbur, D.; Fallmann, Sarah; Chen, L.; Oldridge, Louise; Larkin, M.; Wilson, A.; Agarwal, S.; Bankart, J.; Subramaniam, H.; Raghavan, Raghu; Panerai, R.; Clague-Baker, Nicola; Chung, E.; Stahl, Bernd Carsten, 1968-; Chen, F.; Triboan, D.; Psychoula, I.; Northcott, Andy Academic geriatric medicine in Leicester . There has never been a better time to consider joining us. We have recently appointed a Professor in Geriatric Medicine, alongside Tom Robinson in stroke and Victoria Haunton, who has just joined as a Senior Lecturer in Geriatric Medicine. We have fantastic opportunities to support students in their academic pursuits through a well-established intercalated BSc programme, and routes on through such as ACF posts, and a successful track-record in delivering higher degrees leading to ACL post. We collaborate strongly with Health Sciences, including academic primary care. See below for more detail on our existing academic set-up. Leicester Academy for the Study of Ageing We are also collaborating on a grander scale, through a joint academic venture focusing on ageing, the ‘Leicester Academy for the Study of Ageing’ (LASA), which involves the local health service providers (acute and community), De Montfort University; University of Leicester; Leicester City Council; Leicestershire County Council and Leicester Age UK. Professors Jayne Brown and Simon Conroy jointly Chair LASA and have recently been joined by two further Chairs, Professors Kay de Vries and Bertha Ochieng. Karen Harrison Dening has also recently been appointed an Honorary Chair. LASA aims to improve outcomes for older people and those that care for them that takes a person-centred, whole system perspective. Our research will take a global perspective, but will seek to maximise benefits for the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, including building capacity. We are undertaking applied, translational, interdisciplinary research, focused on older people, which will deliver research outcomes that address domains from: physical/medical; functional ability, cognitive/psychological; social or environmental factors. LASA also seeks to support commissioners and providers alike for advice on how to improve care for older people, whether by research, education or service delivery. Examples of recent research projects include: ‘Local History Café’ project specifically undertaking an evaluation on loneliness and social isolation; ‘Better Visits’ project focused on improving visiting for family members of people with dementia resident in care homes; and a study on health issues for older LGBT people in Leicester. Clinical Geriatric Medicine in Leicester We have developed a service which recognises the complexity of managing frail older people at the interface (acute care, emergency care and links with community services). There are presently 17 consultant geriatricians supported by existing multidisciplinary teams, including the largest complement of Advance Nurse Practitioners in the country. Together we deliver Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment to frail older people with urgent care needs in acute and community settings. The acute and emergency frailty units – Leicester Royal Infirmary This development aims at delivering Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment to frail older people in the acute setting. Patients are screened for frailty in the Emergency Department and then undergo a multidisciplinary assessment including a consultant geriatrician, before being triaged to the most appropriate setting. This might include admission to in-patient care in the acute or community setting, intermediate care (residential or home based), or occasionally other specialist care (e.g. cardiorespiratory). Our new emergency department is the county’s first frail friendly build and includes fantastic facilities aimed at promoting early recovering and reducing the risk of hospital associated harms. There is also a daily liaison service jointly run with the psychogeriatricians (FOPAL); we have been examining geriatric outreach to oncology and surgery as part of an NIHR funded study. We are home to the Acute Frailty Network, and those interested in service developments at the national scale would be welcome to get involved. Orthogeriatrics There are now dedicated hip fracture wards and joint care with anaesthetists, orthopaedic surgeons and geriatricians. There are also consultants in metabolic bone disease that run clinics. Community work Community work will consist of reviewing patients in clinic who have been triaged to return to the community setting following an acute assessment described above. Additionally, primary care colleagues refer to outpatients for sub-acute reviews. You will work closely with local GPs with support from consultants to deliver post-acute, subacute, intermediate and rehabilitation care services. Stroke Medicine 24/7 thrombolysis and TIA services. The latter is considered one of the best in the UK and along with the high standard of vascular surgery locally means one of the best performances regarding carotid intervention.
Coming out in cancer care: Is disclosure of sexual orientation beneficial?
Coming out in cancer care: Is disclosure of sexual orientation beneficial? Fish, Julie; Brown, Jayne; Williamson, I. Nurses and other health professionals are to ask about sexual orientation at every face-to-face contact across the NHS from 2019. However, there are concerns about the need for, and relevance of, sexual orientation disclosure and of the potential for discomfort and embarrassment. We conducted qualitative interviews with fifteen lesbian, gay and bisexual patients to investigate how experiences of cancer care are mediated by disclosure. Using thematic analysis, three themes emerged: identifying the barriers to disclosure, approaches to, and facilitators of, coming out, and small actions/big impact: nurses’ responses to disclosure. In conclusion, we situate disclosure within a model of holistic care recognising that patients’ individual needs constitute one of the eight principles of quality nursing. Treating the whole person means that patients are more likely to engage in positive health behaviours, have more knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their health and be more satisfied with their care. The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version.

Click here for a full listing of Jayne Brown‘s publications and outputs.

Research interests/expertise

Palliative Care
End of Life Care
Health and social care needs of older people
Family carers
Practice development in palliative and gerontological nursing
Decision making in clinical practice.

Areas of teaching

Palliative care
End of life issues
Care of older people and family carers
Practice Development in gerontological nursing
Leadership in nursing.

Qualifications

University of Sheffield PhD: Student nurses’ experience of learning to care for older people in enriched environments: a constructivist inquiry 2006

University of Sheffield Master of Medical Science in Clinical Nursing 1996

University of Sheffield Post Graduate Certificate in Education 1996

University of Sheffield Diploma in Health Care Studies (Distinction) 1993

University of Sheffield Certificate in Health Care Studies (Distinction) 1992

Courses taught

Prof. Brown contributes to the Masters in Palliative Care, and pre-registration nursing courses.

Membership of professional associations and societies

Palliative Care Research Association

International Palliative Care Family carer Research Collaboration (IPCFRC)

Professional licences and certificates

North Trent College of Nursing & Midwifery Registered General Nurse 1990
English National Board Registered Nurse Tutor 1996

Conference attendance

Brown Jayne (2012) September: An invited presentation Napier University Edinburgh. The Senses Framework
Brown Jayne; Seymour Jane Unbiased Group(2012) June: An invited presentation European Association of Palliative Care World Congress Trondheim (Norway) Nurses Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviours in Palliative Sedation: Evidence from a Multicentre Study in the UK, associated with current ESRC grant
Brown Jayne; Bird Lydia; Seymour Jane (2012) June: European Association of Palliative Care. World Congress Trondheim (Norway). Comparison of the Incidence and Characteristics of Sedation Practice in the End of Life Care of Cancer Patients in the UK Hospice and Hospital Settings. Paper, associated with current ESRC grant I was working on in Nottingham.
Wilson Eleanor; Brown Jayne (2012) March: Marie Curie Annual Palliative Care Conference, London. Nurses’ decisions to use anticipatory prescriptions in end of life care: study overview. Poster associated with current Marie Curie grant.
Seymour Jane, Brown Jayne (2012) April: Palliative Care Congress Gateshead. ‘There’s always something else we can do’: meanings and experiences with sedation in end of life care among specialist palliative care staff. Paper associated with current ESRC grant I was working on in Nottingham.
Brown Jayne (2011) The Senses Framework in Practice’ Key note paper to National Conference of Allied Health Professionals Scotland.
Brown, J. (2009) Family Caring across Europe: Key note presentation for the National Carers Conference – Carers Scotland. Exploring Family Caring in Europe.

Consultancy work

Prof. Brown has expertise in developing nursing practice, nursing leadership health and social care of older people, care homes, family carers, palliative care, hospice care, end of life care, nursing, nursing practice, nurse leadership (available).

Current research students

1st Supervisor to student to be appointed on 18 June 2012, to commence October 2012

Externally funded research grants information

2011 Marie Curie - (Seymour, Brown, Addington-Hall, Payne, Mathers) Understanding the role of nurses in decisions to use anticipatory prescriptions to manage symptoms and distress in the last days of life: a prospective community based case study using mixed methods (£166,000).
2009 NHS 24- (Brown, Cund, Tolson) Evaluation of the role of Band 5 and Band 6 nurses (£5,000).
2008-2009 QNIS (Scotland) Partnerships in Care Project – (Tolson, Brown, Roome) Development and testing of an educational intervention to promote partnership working between community nurses, older patients and family carers (£20,000).
2007-2010 NHS Education for Scotland. The PLACE Project - The profile of learning achievements in care project (Brown, Tolson, Duffy). A project to develop and test instruments for evaluating the clinical learning environment and user involvement from the perspective not only of student nurses but also those of older people, family carers, qualified nurses, and paid carers. Produce a tool kit for use by Charge nurses (£120,000).

Internally funded research project information

PhD studentship exploring the end of life care needs of families affected by genetic conditions, commencing October 2012.

Professional esteem indicators

Reviewer for:

International Journal of Nursing Studies
Symbolic Interaction
BMC Palliative Care
Journal of Advanced Nursing
NIHR Health Services Research Programme

Case studies

The majority of my research has focused on developing practice in the care of older people and family carers in a variety of settings. For example I have been privileged to take a key role in the development and testing of the ‘Senses Framework’ (Nolan et al 2002, 2007).

Several major research studies have shown this framework to be effective in creating an enriched environment of care for older people in a variety of clinical settings and it has been used by a wide range of clinicians and researchers both nationally and internationally, for example, the EU funded project Services for Supporting Family Carers of Elderly People in Europe: Characteristics, Coverage and Usage: EUROFAMCARE, which employed the Senses Framework as an analytical lens.

This six country study looked at the support needs of family carers across Europe. As UK co-ordinator I was responsible for developing an extensive questionnaire which was translated and used in 6 countries. As a result colleagues and I were invited to address members of the European Parliament in relation to the needs of family carers across Europe and I also appeared on national television in Poland to discuss carer issues.

The ‘Senses Framework’ has also been highly influential in the UK being frequently cited in health policy in the UK in documents such as Care 21 Scotland, and the National Service Framework for Older People for example. The findings from my own doctoral thesis ‘Student nurses’ experience of learning to care for older people in enriched environments: a constructivist inquiry’, which used the Senses Framework to explore factors which supported student nurses in choosing to work with older people contributed to ‘My Home Life’, a national initiative aimed at improving quality of life of those living and working in care homes.

Following on from my thesis I gained a research grant from NHS Education Scotland (the PLACE study) to develop and introduce an a toolkit designed to profile the clinical learning environment from the perspective not only of students, but also of qualified nurses, care assistants, older people and family carers. The Senses Framework has also been highlighted by the Commission on improving dignity in care in their recent report ‘Delivering Dignity: Securing dignity in care for older people in hospitals and care’.