Dr Avril Nicoll

Biography

I work for the School of Geosciences/Institute of Applied Health Sciences as a Research Fellow on the Building Rural-Urban healthCare Equity for Scotland (BRUCES) study.

I am a qualitative social science contract researcher curious about how health service staff and users bring about changes in practice. This interest comes from my clinical background in speech and language therapy, 14 years as publisher and editor of ‘Speech & Language Therapy in Practice’ magazine, and extensive experience as a user representative in maternity services. In addition to my PhD on practice change in speech and language therapy, I have been lucky to be able to develop this interest as a Research Fellow. In the VOICES study we produced a healthtalk.org public resource and recommendations to reduce variation in care for people with systemic vasculitis. In the Plan-A study, we developed a decision aid for use in routine antenatal care to support pregnant women to choose between planning vaginal or caesarean birth, with my role focused on developing the accompanying implementation guide.

Prizes and Awards

Fellowship of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (2011)

International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders (IJLCD) Editor's Best Article Prize (2025) 

Research Overview

• Qualitative inquiry
• The work involved in practice change / implementation
• Patient and staff experience of healthcare
• Intervention description

Current Research

I am working with Professor Lorna Philip, Professor Louise Locock and the wider research team and public partners as a qualitative research fellow on the BRUCES study, which aims to improve health equity in remote and rural areas.

My role includes understanding and comparing experiences of accessing and providing care in an accessible rural area, a remote mainland area, and an island area of Scotland. To do this, I am interviewing people living with cancer, musculoskeletal conditions or frailty in these areas, and health and social care professionals who provide services to them.

This qualitative work will inform a future Discrete Choice Experiment, and contribute to a better understanding of the ways in which rurality can affect health outcomes. 

Past Research

• Research Fellow, Plan-A study, University of Aberdeen
• Research Fellow, VOICES (Vasculitis Outcomes In relation to Care ExperienceS) study, University of Aberdeen, with follow-up to support impact
• Researcher, PD COMM trial, Glasgow Caledonian University
• Research Fellow, 'Frameworks to maximise effective intervention sustainability on the ward - a systematic review', University of Stirling
• PhD on practice change in speech and language therapy, University of Stirling
• Research Assistant, 'Challenges and opportunities for career progression of staff employed by the University of Stirling undertaking part-time research doctorates', University of Stirling
• Research Assistant, 'Improving quality of life and swallowing function in patients with head and neck cancer. Development and feasibility of a Swallowing Intervention Package (SiP)', University of Stirling
• Research Assistant, IPEC (Improving Patient Experience of Care) study, University of Dundee
• Research Assistant, Process Evaluation of Alcohol Brief Interventions in Wider Settings, University of Stirling