Staff Profile

I am an NIHR GP Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University, where my research focuses on identifying optimal approaches to managing acute illness in care home settings. I completed a Masters Degree in Public Health at Newcastle University. Following this, I was awarded an NIHR In-practice fellowship, and subsequently held an NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria Practice Fellowship. My research interests in older adult care link directly to my clinical practice, as a GP partner in Northumberland.  

• Articles

  • Barker R, Eastaugh CH, Craig D, Wallace SA, Hanratty B. Which acute deterioration tools are used in long-term care facilities and how have they been evaluated? A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research 2025, 25, 765.
  • Johnson EE, Searle B, Lazo Green K, Walbaum M, Barker R, Brotherhood K, Spiers GF, Craig D, Hanratty B. Interventions to Prevent Hospital Admissions in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Rapid Review of Economic Evidence. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 2024, 25(8), 105034.
  • Searle B, Barker RO, Stow D, Spiers GF, Pearson F, Hanratty B. Which interventions are effective at decreasing or increasing emergency department attendances or hospital admissions from long-term care facilities? A systematic review. BMJ Open 2023, 13(2), e064914.
  • Vardy ER, Lasserson D, Barker RO, Hanratty B. NEWS2 and the older person. Clinical Medicine Journal 2023, 22, 522-524.
  • Barker RO, Atkin C, Hanratty B, Kingston A, Cooksley T, Gordon AL, Holland M, Knight T, Subbe CP, Lasserson DS. National Early Warning Scores Following Emergency Hospital Transfer: Implications for Care Home Residents. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 2023, 24(5), 653-656.
  • Chawla K, Kunonga TP, Stow D, Barker R, Craig D, Hanratty B. Prevalence of loneliness amongst older people in high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 2021, 16(7), e0255088.
  • Stow D, Barker RO, Matthews FE, Hanratty B. National Early Warning Scores and COVID-19 deaths in care homes: an ecological time-series study. BMJ Open 2021, 11(9), e045579.
  • Barker RO, Stocker R, Russell S, Hanratty B. Future-proofing the primary care workforce: A qualitative study of home visits by emergency care practitioners in the UK. European Journal of General Practice 2021, 27(1), 68-76.
  • 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.
  • Barker RO, Astle A, Spilsbury K, Hanratty B. COVID-19 testing during care home outbreaks: the more the better?. Age and Ageing 2021, 50(5), 1433–1435.
  • Barker RO, Hanratty B, Kingston A, Ramsay S, Matthews FE. Changes in health and functioning of care home residents over two decades: what can we learn from population-based studies?. Age and Ageing 2021, 50(3), 921-927.
  • Jarvis H, Craig D, Barker R, Spiers G, Stow D, Anstee QM, Hanratty B. Metabolic risk factors and incident advanced liver disease in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A systematic review and meta-analysis of population based observational studies. PLoS Medicine 2020, 17(4), e1003100.
  • 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.
  • Barker R, Stocker R, Russell S, Roberts A, Kingston A, Adamson J, Hanratty B. Distribution of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) in care home residents. Age and Ageing 2020, 49(1), 141-145.
  • Gordon A, Goodman C, Achterberg W, Barker R, Burns E, Hanratty B, Martin F, Meyer J, ONeill D, Schols J, Spilsbury K. Commentary: COVID in care homes—challenges and dilemmas in healthcare delivery. Age and Ageing 2020, 49(5), 701-705.
  • Spiers G, Matthews FE, Moffatt S, Barker R, Jarvis H, Stow D, Kingston A, Hanratty B. Impact of social care supply on healthcare utilisation by older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Age and Ageing 2019, 48(1), 57-66.
  • Spiers G, Matthews FE, Moffatt S, Barker R, Jarvis H, Stow D, Kingston A, Hanratty B. Does older adults’ use of social care influence their healthcare utilisation? A systematic review of international evidence. Health & Social Care in the Community 2019, 27(5), e651-e662.
  • Barker RO, Craig D, Spiers G, Kunonga P, Hanratty B. Who Should Deliver Primary Care in Long-term Care Facilities to Optimize Resident Outcomes? A Systematic Review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 2018, 19(12), 1069-1079.