Professor of Primary Care and Head of Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield,Sheffield, UK

After qualifying MBChB from Sheffield in 1979, Nigel Mathers did his MD in neonatal paediatrics before entering General Practice in 1987. He took up a Principal post as a single-handed GP in a deprived, inner city area of Sheffield, building up the Practice to a four GP partnership.  After retiring from the Practice, he has worked at a Dykes Hall Medical Centre for the past two years. He became Head of the Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care (formerly the Institute of General Practice and Primary Care) in 1997.In 1993 he completed his PhD Thesis on "Heartsink" patients in general practice. Since 1997, he has led a number of European grants to: develop primary care interprofessional learning in the UK, Belgium, Italy and Spain (The LOTUS project); develop online continuing professional development for health and social care practitioners (HEALTHFACIL); develop the use of motivational skills in health and social care to support behavioural change (MOTIVATE); and investigate the impact of different treatment modalities on the children of heroin addicts in England, Spain and Switzerland.

hildbirth, health beliefs, postnatal women, postpartum practices, postpartum rituals.