Staff Profile

I am a Senior Research Associate, based in the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University. My research interests include the development of innovative (digital) approaches to address societal challenges such as loneliness, isolation, health and care in later life. 

I have worked with older people and health care professionals on a range of qualitative and mixed methods studies to explore experiences of everyday life. Recent projects include an evaluation of a community-based physical and social activity programme for older adults with mild frailty, a study on the use of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) in care homes, and a review of systematic reviews for Public Health England on the consequences of caring for older people and effective interventions to support unpaid carers.

I also co-lead Care & Research North East, a research-practice partnership established in 2022, bringing together university and care sector partners to co-produce knowledge, share expertise, and ensure research is relevant and useful in practice. 

Current research topics include:

• residential care models for older people
• staff and patient experiences of virtual wards
• staff clothing in care homes

PhD students:

Sena Odabaş

Women Living Alone in Later Life: Between Social Exclusion and Precarity

Ki Tong (Advanced Care Research Centre, University of Edinburgh)

Enhancing access to greenspace for older people to improve quality of life 

Arlind Reuter (PhD Awarded 2021)

Digital citizenship in later life: insights from participatory action research with older content creators

Anne O’Brien (PhD Awarded 2023)

The assessment and management of Polymyalgia Rheumatica from the Physiotherapist's perspective

• Articles

  • Webber M, Casey B, Tucker L, Shires K, Wilberforce M, Hanratty B, Tomkow L, Sinclair D, Liddle J, Sissons D, Joubert L. The conceptualisation and measurement of social frailty in older people: an umbrella review. The Journal of Frailty and Aging 2025, 14(5), 100078.
  • Davey V, Healey J, Liddle J, Beresford B, Rand S, Goodman C, Spilsbury K, Hanratty B. Routine data collection in home care: a national survey of home care providers in England. Quality in Ageing and Older Adults 2025, 26(1), 56-69.
  • O'Brien AV, Muller S, Liddle J, Thomas MJ, Mallen CD. Physiotherapy for the Management of Polymyalgia Rheumatica: Results From a UK Cross-Sectional Survey. Musculoskeletal Care 2025, 23(3), e70155.
  • Tong K, Ward Thompson C, Carin-Levy G, Liddle J, Morton S, Mead G. Nature-based interventions for older adults: a systematic review of intervention types and methods, health effects, and pathways. Age and Ageing 2025, 54(4), afaf084.
  • Robertshaw L, Hanratty B, Musselwhite C, Liddle J. Missing the bus: Impacts of loss of bus services on the wellbeing of older adults. Journal of Transport and Health 2025, 44, 102104.
  • Allen F, Logan P, Darby J, Robinson K, Burgess S, van der Ward V, McManus E, Gu B, Gordon A, Hodge S, Liddle J, Lie M, Harris C, Lasserson D, Smith P. Implementing the Action Falls Program Into Care Homes in England (the FinCH Imp Study). JAMDA: The Journal of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association 2025, 26(12), 105940.
  • Healey J, Davey V, Liddle J, O'Rourke G, Hanratty B, Beresford B. UK homecare providers’ views about, and experiences of, digitalisation: A national survey. Digital Health 2024, 10.
  • Liddle J, Stowell M, Ali M, Warwick S, Thompson A, Brittain K, Brougham A, Hanratty B. Community-based physical and social activity for older adults with mild frailty: a rapid qualitative study of a collaborative intervention pilot. BMC Geriatrics 2024, 24, 1011.
  • Holden MA, Hawarden A, Paskins Z, Roddy E, Mallen CD, Liddle J, Bourton A, Jinks C. Experiences of living with hip osteoarthritis and of receiving advice, education and ultrasound-guided intra-articular hip injection in the hip injection trial. A qualitative study. Musculoskeletal Care 2023, 21(4), 1601-1611.
  • Hanratty B, Wolters AT, Towers A-M, Spilsbury K, Meyer J, Killett A, Jones L, Gordon A, Burton JK, Akdur G, Irvine L, Warmoth K, Liddle J, Goodman C. Data Collection in Care Homes for Older Adults: A National Survey in England. Journal of Long-Term Care 2023, 2023, 288-296.
  • Spiers GF, Liddle JE, Stow D, Searle B, Whitehead IO, Kingston A, Moffatt S, Matthews FE, Hanratty B. Measuring older people's socioeconomic position: a scoping review of studies of self-rated health, health service and social care use. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2022, 76(6), 572-579.
  • Healey EL, Mallen CD, Chew-Graham CA, Nicholls E, Lewis M, Lawton S, Finney AG, Tan V, Cooper V, Dziedzic KS, Liddle J, Wathall S, Jinks C. Integrating case-finding and initial management for osteoarthritis, anxiety and depression into primary care long-term condition reviews: results from the ENHANCE pilot trial. Family Practice 2022, 39(4), 592-602.
  • Spiers GF, Liddle J, Kunonga TP, Whitehead IO, Beyer F, Stow D, Welsh C, Ramsay SE, Craig D, Hanratty B. What are the consequences of caring for older people and what interventions are effective for supporting unpaid carers? A rapid review of systematic reviews. BMJ Open 2021, 11(9), e046187.
  • Stocker R, Russell S, Liddle J, Barker RO, Remmer A, Gray J, Hanratty B, Adamson J. Experiences of a National Early Warning Score (NEWS) intervention in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study. BMJ Open 2021, 11, e045469.
  • Liddle J, Richardson JC, Hider SL, Mallen CD, Watson L, Chandratre P, Roddy E. “It’s just a great muddle when it comes to food”: a qualitative exploration of patient decision making around diet and gout. Rheumatology Advances in Practice 2021, 5(3).
  • Russell S, Stocker R, Barker R, Liddle J, Adamson J, Hanratty B. Implementation of the National Early Warning Score in UK care homes: a qualitative evaluation. British Journal of General Practice 2020, 70(700), e793-e800.
  • Reuter A, Liddle J, Scharf T. Digitalising the Age-Friendly City: Insights from Participatory Action Research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17(21), 8281.
  • Liddle J, Pitcher N, Montague K, Hanratty B, Standing H, Scharf T. Connecting at Local Level: Exploring Opportunities for Future Design of Technology to Support Social Connections in Age-Friendly Communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17(15), 5544.
  • Chean CS, Prior JA, Helliwell T, Belcher J, Mackie SL, Hider SL, Liddle J, Mallen CD. Characteristics of patients with giant cell arteritis who experience visual symptoms. Rheumatology International 2019, 39(10), 1789-1796.
  • Richardson J, Liddle J. Where does good quality qualitative health care research get published?. Primary Health Care Research & Development 2017, 18(5), 515-521.
  • Liddle J, Bartlam R, Mallen CD, Mackie SL, Prior JA, Helliwell T, Richardson JC. What is the impact of giant cell arteritis on patients’ lives?: A UK qualitative study. BMJ Open 2017, 7, e017073.
  • Prior JA, Ranjbar H, Belcher J, Mackie SL, Helliwell T, Liddle J, Mallen CD. Diagnostic delay for giant cell arteritis - a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Medicine 2017, 15(1), 120.
  • Walker J, Liddle J, Jordan KP, Campbell P. Affective concordance in couples: A cross-sectional analysis of depression and anxiety consultations within a population of 13,507 couples in primary care. BMC Psychiatry 2017, 17, 190.
  • Richardson JC, Liddle J, Mallen CD, Roddy E, Hider S, Prinjha S, Ziebland S. A joint effort over a period of time: factors affecting use of urate-lowering therapy for long-term treatment of gout. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2016, 17, 249.
  • Chandratre P, Mallen CD, Roddy E, Liddle J, Richardson J. "You want to get on with the rest of your life": a qualitative study of health-related quality of life in gout. Clinical Rheumatology 2016, 35(5), 1197-1205.
  • Liddle J, Roddy E, Mallen CD, Hider SL, Prinjha S, Ziebland S, Richardson JC. Mapping patients' experiences from initial symptoms to gout diagnosis: a qualitative exploration. BMJ Open 2015, 5(9), e008323.
  • Richardson JC, Liddle J, Mallen CD, Roddy E, Prinjha S, Ziebland S, Hider S. "Why me? I don't fit the mould … I am a freak of nature": a qualitative study of women's experience of gout. BMC Women's Health 2015, 15, 122.
  • Liddle J, Scharf T, Bartlam B, Bernard M, Sim J. Exploring the age-friendliness of purpose-built retirement communities: evidence from England. Ageing and Society 2014, 34(9), 1601-1629.
  • Bernard M, Liddle J, Bartlam B, Scharf T, Sim J. Then and now: evolving community in the context of a retirement village. Ageing & Society 2012, 32(1), 103-129.
  • Sim J, Liddle J, Bernard M, Scharf T, Bartlam B. Home from home? A mixed-methods study of relocation within a purpose-built retirement community. Journal of Housing for the Elderly 2012, 26(4), 372-394.

• Book Chapter

  • Bartlam B, Bernard M, Liddle J, Scharf T, Sim J. Creating home-like places in a purpose-built retirement village in the United Kingdom. In: Rowles,GD;Bernard,M, ed. Environmental Gerontology: Making Meaningful Places in Old Age. New York: Springer, 2013.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Lengyel D, Liddle J, Kaipainen K, Heron M, Sturdee M, Lewis M. Talking ‘bout Your Generation: Lessons Learned from Exploring Tabletop Role-Playing and Visual Arts-based Methods to Promote Reflection on the Diversity of ‘Older Adults’ in HCI. In: 53rd British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference 2024. 2024, Newcastle, UK.
  • AlAssaf A, Johnson EE, Tanner L, Hunter E, Richmond C, Still M, Gill S, Jackson S, Harris B, Arisa O, Hanratty B, Liddle J, Craig D, Pearson F. Assisted Daily Living: Stakeholder Involvement In Identifying Innovation Gaps, User Needs, And Potential Solutions. In: HTAi 2024 Meeting. 2024, Seville, Spain: Cambridge University Press.
  • Lengyel D, Kaipainen K, Sturdee M, Heron M, Lewis M, Liddle J. Hands-on workshop on tabletop role-playing for inclusive design: Imagining sustainable futures for 'older adults'. In: Mindtrek '23: Proceedings of the 26th International Academic Mindtrek Conference. 2023, Tampere, Finland: ACM.
  • Reuter A, Liddle J. The Later Life Audio and Radio Co-operative: considering radio as a technology to promote citizen dialogue in later life. In: DSAI 2020: 9th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info Exclusion. 2020, Portugal Virtual: ACM.
  • Reuter A, Bartindale T, Morrissey K, Scharf T, Liddle J. Older voices: supporting community radio production for civic participation in later life. In: 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. 2019, Glasgow: ACM.