Personal profile
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My research interests lie in how technology can support the delivery of primary care (in and out of hours). I have particular interest in the safety aspects of telephone and video consultations, as well as in the important question as to how the patient accesses medication after a remote consultation.
This research interest builds on my clinical and leadership career in the same sector. Previous roles include Unscheduled Primary Care Clinical Director, Aneurin Bevan University Healthboard and National Professional Advisor on Urgent Primary Care to the Care Quality Commission. I have worked as an out of hours GP since 2008, working in both Wales and Scotland. I have also worked as a GP for a private provider of video consultations, and during the pandemic was seconded to be the National Primary Care Clinical Lead for the roll out of video consultations in Wales. Drawing on these experiences, I led work on the quality and safety themes of the Remote by Default 2 study, and lead the REMEDY project, exploring technological solutions for access to urgently required medication after a telephone consultation.
In addition to my research role, I am a salaried GP for NHS Orkney, working on a rotational basis as a remote island doctor on the isle of Hoy and in GP Out of Hours on Orkney Mainland. I chair NICE’s Quality Standards Committee. I am a qualified coach.
Education/Academic qualification
Postgraduate, PhD, Virtual consults: Real consequences, Bangor University
Award Date: 8 Jan 2025
Postgraduate, MSc, Public Health (distinction), King's College London
Award Date: 1 Apr 2022
Undergraduate, Professional, MBBch (honours), University of Wales, College of Medicine
Award Date: 10 Jul 2001
External positions
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Bangor University
Dec 2024 → 1 Jun 2025
Salaried rotational GP, NHS Orkney
Clarendon-Reuben Doctoral Scholar, University of Oxford
Chair, NICE Quality Standards Committee
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Dispensing quality? Can pharmacy vending machines and collection lockers deliver high quality care?
Thomas, E., Tanaka, A., Mackridge, A. & Payne, R., 18 May 2026, In: International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. riag056.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Drones in healthcare, are they ready to fly?
Tanaka, A., Thomas, E., Purves, A., Heward-Mills, D., Bray, N. & Payne, R. E., 6 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: BMJ Innovations.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Downloads (Pure) -
How a lack of visual fidelity in patient-generated images risks compromising care
Payne, R. E., Woywodt, A., Wang, Z., Kirk, U. B., Brady, M., Joishy, M., King, K., Mahdi, A., Fischer Pedersen, A. & Huibers, L., 25 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: The Lancet Primary Care. 100120.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Increase in remote overseas primary care consultations
Payne, R. E., Wang, Z., Jaggar, D. & King, K., 26 Mar 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: BMJ. 392, s563.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Reliability of LLMs as medical assistants for the general public: a randomized preregistered study
Bean, A., Payne, R. E., Parsons, G., Kirk, H. R., Ciro, J., Mosquera-Gómez, R., Hincape, S., Ekanayaka, A., Tarassenko, L., Rocher, L. & Mahdi, A., 9 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Nature Medicine. 32, p. 609-615 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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AI in healthcare: secretary not physician
Payne, R. (Speaker)
10 Dec 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Equality and Diversity for Managers
Payne, R. (Participant)
Dec 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course
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Visual distortion in clinical images: safety risks and research in digital care
Payne, R. (Speaker) & Wang, Z. (Speaker)
Dec 2025 → …Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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You can add tech, but you can't replace people. Unexpected learnings from a Churchill Fellowship
Payne, R. (Speaker)
26 Nov 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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CRP in GPOOH, tool or trap?
Payne, R. (Speaker)
24 Nov 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
Prizes
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BJGP Senior Researcher Award, BJGP Conference 2024
Payne, R. (Recipient), 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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RCGP Education Paper Research Paper of the Year 2024
Greenhalgh, T. (Recipient), Payne, R. (Recipient), Hemmings, N. (Recipient), Leach, H. (Recipient), Hanson, I. (Recipient), Khan, A. (Recipient), Miller, L. (Recipient), Ladds, E. (Recipient), Clarke, A. (Recipient), Shaw, S. (Recipient), Dakin, F. (Recipient), Wieringa, S. (Recipient), Rybzynska-Bunt, S. (Recipient), Faulker, S. (Recipient), Byng, R. (Recipient), Kalin, A. (Recipient), Moore, L. (Recipient), Wherton, J. (Recipient), Husain, L. (Recipient) & Rosen, R. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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RCGP Health Services Research Paper of the year
Payne, R. (Recipient), Clarke, A. (Recipient), Swann, N. (Recipient), Van Dael, J. (Recipient), Brenman, N. (Recipient), Rosen, R. (Recipient), Mackridge, A. (Recipient), Moore, L. (Recipient), Kalin, A. (Recipient), Ladds, E. (Recipient), Hemmings, N. (Recipient), Rybczynska-Bunt, S. (Recipient), Faulker, S. (Recipient), Hanson, I. (Recipient), Spitters, S. (Recipient), Wieringa, S. (Recipient), Dakin, F. (Recipient), Shaw, S. (Recipient), Wherton, J. (Recipient), Byng, R. (Recipient), Husain, L. (Recipient) & Greenhalgh, T. (Recipient), 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Press/Media
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A.I. chatbots are changing how patients get medical advice
Bean, A., Payne, R. & Mahdi, A.
16/11/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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'World first' prescription drugs machine could come to Anglesey
Payne, R. & Mackridge, A.
21/08/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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Bot-ched advice - disturbing results in AI study
Bean, A., Payne, R. & Mahdi, A.
10/07/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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We are the gremlins in the AI machine
Bean, A., Payne, R. & Mahdi, A.
26/06/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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‘World first’ drug dispensing machine trialled in Dolgellau could be coming to Holyhead
Payne, R. & Mackridge, A.
21/04/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
Thesis
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Virtual consults: Real consequences: The impact of remote consulting on contemporary British General Practice
Payne, R. E. (Author), Jones, L. (Supervisor) & Wilkinson, C. (Supervisor), 8 Jan 2025Student thesis: Doctor of Philosophy
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