Dr Jon M Dickson

MRCGP, BSc (Hons), BMBCh, PhD, MRCGP

School of Medicine and Population Health

Senior Clinical Lecturer

j.m.dickson@sheffield.ac.uk

Room 3038a, Third Floor, Regent Court (ScHARR)

Full contact details

Dr Jon M Dickson
School of Medicine and Population Health
Room 3038a, Third Floor
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA

Profile

My first degree was a BSc in Biomedical Science from the University of Sheffield. After graduating in 1996, I undertook a PhD investigating the cognitive and motor consequences of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (2000). In 2001, I was awarded a Lectureship at the University of Sheffield, where I taught neuroanatomy and continued my research using neuroimaging and neuropsychological techniques to study neurological disorders.

In 2003 I began my medical studies at Magdalen College, Oxford. During this time I continued my research and scholarship into neurological disorders and medical education, and I was awarded the Apgar prize for teaching in 2006 by Magdalen College. After receiving my MBChB in 2007, I started foundation training in the South Yorkshire Deanery, followed by GP training.

In 2012, I became a member of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP). I took up a post as NIHR Clinical Lecturer in general practice at the University of Sheffield from 2012–2016, after which I became a Senior Clinical Lecturer within the Primary Care Research Group in the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR).

Research interests

My research at the University of Sheffield focuses on primary care, neuroscience and neurology.

I am the author of 45 full-length papers in peer-reviewed journals, and 13 book chapters, reports, clinical practice guidelines and opinion pieces. I have also been an investigator on research grants worth over £5.5 million.

I am joint Chief Investigator on the NIHR funded RADOSS project. I am an investigator within the primary care theme of the Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaborative (ARC), and I am the primary care lead in the Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) (EDI theme).

My methodological expertise includes quantitative methods, qualitative methods, and evidence synthesis.

Publications

Journal articles

Peacock M, Bissell P, Reuber M, Gray C, Grünewald R & Dickson JM (2025) Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD): trauma and life events, context and meaning. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 8, 100578-100578.
Windeatt-Harrison IL, Walker T, Bell SM, Blackburn D, Dickson JM, Jones S, Wardrope A & Reuber M (2024) The First Step in Triadic Decision-Making Involving People with Dementia: Determining Who Talks When. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 57(4), 399-416.
Lassa S, Burton C & Dickson JM (2024) GPs' experience of difficult decisions in patients with dementia and an acute illness.. BJGP open, BJGPO.2024.0074.
Cotterill CL, Booth A, Dickson JM & Hind D (2024) Patient's perspectives of epilepsy care by specialists and generalists: qualitative evidence synthesis.. BJGP Open.
Noble AJ, Dixon P, Mathieson A, Ridsdale L, Morgan M, McKinlay A, Dickson J, Goodacre S, Jackson M, Morris B , Hughes D et al (2024) Developing feasible person-centred care alternatives to emergency department responses for adults with epilepsy: a discrete choice analysis mixed-methods study. Health and social care delivery research, 12(24), 1-158.
Noble AJ, Morris B, Dixon P, Mathieson A, Ridsdale L, Morgan M, Dickson J, Goodacre S, Jackson M, Hughes D , Marson A et al (2024) Service users' preferences and feasibility – which alternative care pathway for adult ambulance users achieves the optimal balance? Workshops for the COLLABORATE project. Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, 118, 17-27. View this article in WRRO
Holmes E, Dixon P, Mathieson A, Ridsdale L, Morgan M, McKinlay A, Dickson J, Goodacre S, Jackson M, Foster D , Hardman K et al (2024) Developing an alternative care pathway for emergency ambulance responses for adults with epilepsy: A Discrete Choice Experiment to understand which configuration service users prefer. Part of the COLLABORATE project. Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, 118, 28-37. View this article in WRRO
Fox MN, Dickson JM, Burch P, Hind D & Hawksworth L (2024) Delivering relational continuity of care in UK general practice: a scoping review. BJGP Open. View this article in WRRO
Goodacre S, Sutton L, Ennis K, Thomas B, Hawksworth O, Iftikhar K, Croft SJ, Fuller G, Waterhouse S, Hind D , Stevenson M et al (2024) Prehospital early warning scores for adults with suspected sepsis: the PHEWS observational cohort and decision-analytic modelling study. Health Technology Assessment, 28(16), 1-93. View this article in WRRO
Noble AJ, Morris B, Bonnet LJ, Reuber M, Mason S, Wright J, Pilbery R, Bell F, Shillito T, Marson AG & Dickson JM (2024) ‘Knowledge exchange’ workshops to optimise development of a risk prediction tool to assist conveyance decisions for suspected seizures – Part of the Risk of ADverse Outcomes after a Suspected Seizure (RADOSS) project.. Epilepsy & Behavior, 151. View this article in WRRO
Peacock M, Bissell P, Ellis J, Dickson JM, Wardrope A, Grünewald R & Reuber M (2023) ‘I just need to know what they are and if you can help me’: medicalization and the search for legitimacy in people diagnosed with non-epileptic attack disorder. Epilepsy and Behavior, 148. View this article in WRRO
Goodacre S, Sutton L, Thomas B, Hawksworth O, Iftikhar K, Croft S, Fuller G, Waterhouse S, Hind D, Bradburn M , Smyth MA et al (2023) Prehospital early warning scores for adults with suspected sepsis: retrospective diagnostic cohort study. Emergency Medicine Journal, 40(11), 768-776. View this article in WRRO
Wardrope A, Bell S, Blackburn D, Dickson J, Reuber M & Walker T (2023) Understanding the autonomy of adults with impaired capacity through dialogue. Journal of Medical Ethics, 49(7), 493-494.
Dickson JM, Hilton A, Kelsall C & Cormack L (2023) Primary care: the sleeping giant of research delivery. British Journal of General Practice, 73(730), 198-199. View this article in WRRO
Wigglesworth S, Neligan A, Dickson JM, Pullen A, Yelland E, Anjuman T & Reuber M (2023) The incidence and prevalence of epilepsy in the United Kingdom 2013–2018: a retrospective cohort study of UK primary care data. Seizure - European Journal of Epilepsy, 105, 37-42. View this article in WRRO
Noble AJ, Mason SM, Bonnett LJ, Reuber M, Wright J, Pilbery R, Jacques RM, Simpson RM, Campbell R, Fuller A , Marson AG et al (2022) Supporting the ambulance service to safely convey fewer patients to hospital by developing a risk prediction tool: Risk of Adverse Outcomes after a Suspected Seizure (RADOSS)—protocol for the mixed-methods observational RADOSS project. BMJ Open, 12(11). View this article in WRRO
Peacock M, Dickson J, Bissell P, Grunewald R & Reuber M (2022) Beyond the medical encounter: can the free association narrative interview method extend psychosocial understandings of non-epileptic attack disorder?. Journal of Psychosocial Studies, 15(1), 36-51. View this article in WRRO
Clark J, Copsey B, Wright-Hughes A, McNaught E, Bijsterveld P, McCormack T, Foy R, Wilkes S, Dickson J, Meads D , Farrin A et al (2022) Cancer patients’ needs assessment in primary care : study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT), economic evaluation and normalisation process theory evaluation of the needs assessment tool cancer (CANAssess). BMJ Open, 12(5). View this article in WRRO
Burton C, Stone T, Oliver P, Dickson JM, Lewis J & Mason SM (2022) Frequent attendance at the emergency department shows typical features of complex systems: analysis of multicentre linked data. Emergency Medicine Journal, 39(1), 3-9.
Goodacre S, Thomas B, Smyth M & Dickson JM (2021) Should prehospital early warning scores be used to identify which patients need urgent treatment for sepsis?. BMJ, 2021(375). View this article in WRRO
Quah MCH, Marney BC, Cooper RJ & Dickson JM (2021) Chronic pain and opioid analgesic use : a case report. Clinical Case Reports, 9(7). View this article in WRRO
Andrews J, Weiner K, Will C, Henwood F & Dickson J (2020) Healthcare practitioner views and experiences of patients self-monitoring blood pressure: vignette study. British Journal of General Practice Open (BJGP Open), 4(5). View this article in WRRO
Hughes-Gooding T, Dickson J, O'Keeffe C & Mason S (2020) A data-linkage study of suspected seizures in the urgent and emergency care system in the UK. Emergency Medicine Journal, 37(10), 605-610. View this article in WRRO
Davies P, Reuber M, Grunewald R, Howell S, Dickson J, Dennis G, Shanmugarajah P, Tsironis T & Brockington A (2020) The impact and challenges of the 2018 MHRA statement on the use of sodium valproate in women of childbearing age during the first year of implementation, in a UK epilepsy centre. Seizure, 79, 8-13.
O'Cathain A, Simpson R, Phillips M & Dickson J (2020) Tendency to contact general practice instead of self-care : a population vignette study. British Journal of General Practice Open (BJGP Open), 4(2). View this article in WRRO
Mathieson A, Marson AG, Jackson M, Ridsdale L, Goodacre S, Dickson JM & Noble AJ (2020) Clinically unnecessary and avoidable emergency health service use for epilepsy : a survey of what English services are doing to reduce it. Seizure, 76, 156-160. View this article in WRRO
O'Cathain A, Knowles E, Dickson J, Long J, Connell J, Bishop-Edwards L, Simpson R, Coster J, Abouzeid L, Bennett S , Croot E et al (2020) Drivers of 'clinically unnecessary' use of emergency and urgent care: the DEUCE mixed-methods study. Health Services and Delivery Research, 8(15).
Noble AJ, Mathieson A, Ridsdale L, Holmes EA, Morgan M, McKinlay A, Dickson JM, Jackson M, Hughes DA, Goodacre S & Marson AG (2019) Developing patient-centred, feasible alternative care for adult emergency department users with epilepsy : protocol for the mixed-methods observational ‘collaborate’ project. BMJ Open, 9(11). View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Jacques RM, Reuber M, Hick J, Campbell MJ, Morley R & Grunewald RA (2018) Emergency hospital care for adults with suspected seizures in the NHS in England 2007-2013: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 8(10). View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Delaney B & Dickson JM (2018) Endometrial sampling in low-risk patients with abnormal uterine bleeding: a systematic review and meta-synthesis. BMC Family Practice, 19. View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM (2018) The importance of GPs for people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Professional, 49, 20-25. View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Asghar ZB & Siriwardena AN (2018) Pre-hospital ambulance care of patients following a suspected seizure: A cross sectional study . Seizure , 57, 38-44. View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Rawlings GH, Grünewald RA, Miles K, Mack C, Heywood T & Reuber M (2017) An alternative care pathway for suspected seizures in pre-hospital care: a service evaluation. British Paramedic Journal, 2(2), 22-28. View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Delaney B & Connor ME (2017) Primary care endometrial sampling for abnormal uterine bleeding: a pilot study.. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care, 43(4), 296-301.
Dickson JM, Dudhill H, Shewan J, Mason S, Grϋnewald RA & Reuber M (2017) Cross-sectional study of the hospital management of adult patients with a suspected seizure (EPIC2). BMJ Open, 7(7). View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Peacock M, Grünewald RA, Howlett S, Bissell P & Reuber M (2017) Non-epileptic attack disorder: the importance of diagnosis and treatment.. BMJ Case Reports, 2017. View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Taylor LH, Shewan J, Baldwin T, Grünewald RA & Reuber M (2016) Cross-sectional study of the prehospital management of adult patients with a suspected seizure (EPIC1).. BMJ Open, 6(2). View this article in WRRO
Dickson JM, Scott PA & Reuber M (2015) Epilepsy service provision in the National Health Service in England in 2012. SEIZURE-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPILEPSY, 30, 26-31.
Osborne A, Taylor L, Reuber M, Grünewald RA, Parkinson M & Dickson JM (2015) Pre-hospital care after a seizure: Evidence base and United Kingdom management guidelines. Seizure, 24, 82-87.
Dickson JM, Naylor G, Colver G, Powers HJ & Masters P (2014) Multiple vitamin deficiencies in a patient with a history of chronic alcohol excess and self-neglect in the UK. BMJ Case Reports, 2014.
Smithson WH, Hukins D, Buelow JM, Allgar V & Dickson JM (2013) Adherence to medicines and self-management of epilepsy: A community-based study. Epilepsy and Behavior, 26, 109-113.
Dickson JM, Harrington R & Carter MJ (2011) Teaching clinical examination using peer-assisted learning amongst graduate-entry students.. Clin Teach, 8(1), 8-12.
Dickson JM, Warren DJ, Chapman ALN, Anoop U, Hayat H & Bhattacharya D (2010) Spontaneous abscess of the lumbar spine presenting as subacute back pain.. BMJ Case Rep, 2010.
Farrow TFD, Dickson JM & Grünewald RA (2006) A six-year follow-up MRI study of complicated early childhood convulsion.. Pediatr Neurol, 35(4), 257-260.
Dickson JM, Wilkinson ID, Howell SJL, Griffiths PD & Grünewald RA (2006) Idiopathic generalised epilepsy: a pilot study of memory and neuronal dysfunction in the temporal lobes, assessed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy.. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 77(7), 834-840.
Reynders HJ, Broks P, Dickson JM, Lee CE & Turpin G (2005) Investigation of social and emotion information processing in temporal lobe epilepsy with ictal fear.. Epilepsy Behav, 7(3), 419-429.
Dickson JM, Weavers HM, Mitchell N, Winter EM, Wilkinson ID, Van Beek EJR, Wild JM & Griffiths PD (2005) The effects of dehydration on brain volume -- preliminary results.. Int J Sports Med, 26(6), 481-485.
Wilkinson ID, Hadjivassiliou M, Dickson JM, Wallis L, Grünewald RA, Coley SC, Widjaja E & Griffiths PD (2005) Cerebellar abnormalities on proton MR spectroscopy in gluten ataxia.. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 76(7), 1011-1013.
Dickson JM & Grunewald RA (2004) Somatic symptom progression in idiopathic Parkinson's disease. PARKINSONISM RELAT D, 10(8), 487-492.
Wignall EL, Dickson JM, Vaughan P, Farrow TFD, Wilkinson ID, Hunter MD & Woodruff PWR (2004) Smaller hippocampal volume in patients with recent-onset posttraumatic stress disorder.. Biol Psychiatry, 56(11), 832-836.
Dickson JM, Weavers HM, Mitchell N, Winter EM, Wilkinson ID, VanBeek EJR & Griffiths PD (2003) Choice of cross size in stereology--a cautionary note.. Neuroradiology, 45(12), 896-899.
Dickson JM, Kimaro A, Sxe Chang C & Hind D () Assessment and treatment of headache in primary care: a scoping review. BJGP Open, BJGPO.2025.0064-BJGPO.2025.0064.

Chapters

Dickson J, Wilmer I, James C, Grunewald R, Siriwardena N, Reuber M, Wiles J & England E (2019) Convulsions in Adults In Brown SN, Kumar D, James C & Mark J (Ed.), United Kingdom Ambulance Services Clinical Practice Guidelines Bridgwater: Class Professional Publishing.

Conference proceedings papers

Norton AC, Twohig-Bennett C, Smeaton M, Marson A, Armstrong J, Kovac A, Ashby S, Cock H, Coxon A, Dickson JM , Fearon A et al (2025) Top ten epilepsy research priorities: a UK priority setting partnership. Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, Vol. 125 (pp 152-161). England View this article in WRRO
Dickson J, Grunewald R, Reuber M, Gray C, Peacock M, Bissell P, Carusi A & Bracken P (2020) Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder: Metaphysics, Epistemology and Ontology. Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder: Metaphysics, Epistemology and Ontology, 18 October 2019.
Grunewald RA, Dickson JM, Hick J, Jacques R, Campbell M, Morely R & Reuber M (2018) UK Unscheduled Admissions for Adults with Suspected Seizures. JNNP(Suppl 1) (pp A8-A8), 3 May 2017.
Dickson JM, Howell SJ, Griffiths P, Wilkinson I & Grunewald RA (2003) Memory performance and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the temporal lobes in idiopathic generalised epilepsy. JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY, Vol. 74(10) (pp 1449-1450)

Reports

Dickson J (2023) A new tool for inclusive participation in primary care research
Campbell F, Sworn K, Booth A, Reuber M, Grunewald R, Mack C & Dickson J (2019) Epilepsy Specialist Nurses The Evidence (ESPENTE): a Systematic Mapping Review View this article in WRRO

Posters

Hughes-Gooding TA, Mason S, Dickson JM & Stone T (2017) Modelling the Flow of Seizure Patients in the Urgent and Emergency Care System. ILAE British Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting.
Dickson JM (2017) Can free association narrative interviews help to extend understandings of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. 3rd International Conference on Functional (Psychogenic) Neurological Disorders, 6-8 September 2017,.

Theses / Dissertations

Dickson J (2000) The neuropathology of Parkinson's disease : cognitive and motor consequences..

Presentations

Dickson J Primary/secondary care interface and care pathways in neurology, Neurology Service Managers network meeting.. Manchester.
Dickson JM, Simpson R, Jacques R, Ahmed N, Grunewald R, Reuber M & Mason S Exploring Discordance Between Epilepsy Prevalence and Age-Specific Admission Rates for Seizures. Sheffield.
Hughes-Gooding TH, Mason S, Dickson JM & Stone T Stone Modelling the Flow of Seizure Patients in the Urgent and Emergency Care System. Sheffield.
Dickson JM Emergency Health Services for Epilepsy, Plenary Presentation, ILAE British Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting. Leeds.

Other

Dickson J, Grunewald R, Reuber M, Gray C, Bracken P, Peacock M, Bissell P & Carusi A () Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder: Metaphysics, Epistemology and Ontology.

Teaching activities

As a PhD student, I was a neuroanatomy demonstrator in the anatomy laboratory using cadaveric dissection. I was awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCert) in 2000, and from 2001–2003 I was the lead for neuroanatomy teaching on both BSc and MBChB courses at the University of Sheffield. This involved delivering a BSc lecture module, leading cadaveric neuroanatomy classes for BSc students and Phase 1 medical students, and setting/marking examinations.

I have published innovative work on peer teaching, won the Apgar prize for teaching (Magdalen, Oxford), taught and supervised medical students, GP trainees, MSc students, PhD students, and clinical academics trainees.

I am the co-lead of Phase 2a Neurology of the MBChB course at the University of Sheffield, and I am working on the course wide curriculum review.

Professional activities and memberships

I work in the NHS as a GP and as Clinical Lead for Research at Primary Care Sheffield, where we work in partnership with academic and commercial organisations on research collaborations and research delivery projects. Since 2012 I have been Principal Investigator for over 30 studies, recruiting over 2,000 patients to research delivery projects including qualitative studies, interventional studies and randomised controlled trials.

My research delivery work has included membership of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Yorkshire and Humber (Y&H) primary care steering group (2015-2021), membership of the CRN’s national primary care strategy working group, and I currently lead two NIHR RRDN Y&H funded research clusters (groups of research active GP practices) in Sheffield. This work builds capacity for NHS primary care research and develops the synergy between the NHS, Universities and the life sciences industry.

I have been involved in national NHS policy on epilepsy care for over 10 years. I was a member of the NICE epilepsy Guideline Development Group (2019-2022), I was the Chair of the Convulsions Guideline Development Group for the UK paramedics Clinical Guidelines (‘JRCALC’) in 2019 and a member of the group when the guidelines were revised in 2024. I was a member of Epilepsy Action’s Medical Advisory Board (2017-2023) and I have been a member of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) since 2018, an advisory group member for the NHS Right Care Epilepsy Toolkit (2019-2020), a member of Clinical Working Group for epilepsy which was part of the Specialised Adult Neuroscience Transformation programme at NHS England (2018-2019), a Neurology Intelligence Collaborative member at Public Health England in 2019 and a National Neurology Advisory Group (NNAG) member, hosted by the Neurological Alliance, in 2018.

I have also been a member of the NIHR RfPB Y&H funding panel (2019 – 2022), a Clinical Advisor to the RCGP (2018 – 2021), plus an advisor or Peer Reviewer for the following journals, publications, and organisations: NICE, The King’s Fund, Seizure, the British Journal of General Practice, HS&DR (Health Services and Delivery Research, Health Technology Assessment) of the NIHR, HTA (Health Technology Assessment programme) of the NIHR, the Palliative and Supportive Care journal, the Map of Medicine, RCGP e-learning package for motor neurone disease (in association with the MND association). I have been a member of the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC), and was a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) since I qualified (2012-2024).