Staff Profile

Mr Robert (Bob) Slight is a Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at Newcastle Hospitals and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University. Clinically he works with the most deprived communities in the North-East of England with specific interests including multi-morbidity, health inequity, air quality, health care systems and surgical safety. He has supervised numerous PhD students in areas including artificial intelligence, digital support tools, digital inclusivity and surgical safety. Bob co leads the HEALTH project with Prof. Sarah Slight which aims to lessen the impact of adverse air quality on vulnerable communities with an emphasis on healthcare utililisation. Within the UKRI/NERC funded ETHOS project, he works on Work Package 5 which aims to examine the interplay between temperature events, multi-morbidity and health care requirements. Bob holds a PhD in circulatory physiology and blood transfusion as well as being a Fellow of The Brittish Computer Society. 

• Articles

  • Hassan N, Mohamed L, Wilson S, Tolley C, Ahmed A, Baxter C, Slight R, Namdeo A, Slight SP. The impact of poor air quality on hospital attendance of multimorbid patients. Frontiers in Medicine 2026, 12, 1704117.
  • Hassan N, Slight R, Morgan G, Weiand D, Vellinga A, Fekry H, Gallier S, Sapey E, Slight S. Surgical MAchine learning model for predicting Risk of postoperative infecTions in general elective surgery (SMART): A modelling study. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 2026, 67(6), 107768.
  • Wilson S, Tolley C, Ardle RM, Slight R, Slight S. Key considerations to promote digital inclusivity within healthcare: stakeholders’ and under-served groups perspectives. Alzheimer's & Dementia 2025, 21(S6), e100787.
  • Hassan N, Slight R, Bimpong K, Bates DW, Weiand D, Vellinga A, Morgan G, Slight SP. Systematic review to understand users perspectives on AI-enabled decision aids to inform shared decision making. npj Digital Medicine 2024, 7(1), 332.
  • Robinson A, Husband A, Slight R, Slight SP. Designing digital health technology to support patients before and after bariatric surgery: qualitative study exploring patient desires, suggestions and reflections to support lifestyle behavior change. JMIR Human Factors 2022, 9(1), e29782.
  • Serou N, Slight R, Husband A, Forrest S, Slight S. A Retrospective Review of Serious Surgical Incidents in 5 Large UK Teaching Hospitals: A System-Based Approach. Journal of Patient Safety 2022, 18(4), 358-364.
  • Serou N, Slight SP, Husband AK, Forrest SP, Slight RD. Surgical incidents and their impact on operating theatre staff: qualitative study. BJS Open 2021, 5(2), zraa007.
  • Serou N, Husband AK, Forrest SP, Slight RD, Slight SP. Support for Healthcare Professionals after Surgical Patient Safety Incidents: A Qualitative Descriptive Study in 5 Teaching Hospitals. Journal of Patient Safety 2021, 17(5), 335-340.
  • Serou N, Sahota L, Husband AK, Forrest SP, Slight RD, Slight S. Learning from safety incidents in high-reliability organizations: a systematic review of learning tools that could be adapted and used in healthcare. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2021, 33(1), mzab046.
  • Robinson A, Slight RD, Husband AK, Slight S. Digital technology to support lifestyle and health behaviour changes in surgical patients: systematic review. BJS Open 2021, 5(2), zraa009.
  • Robinson A, Slight RD, Husband AK, Slight SP. Designing the Optimal Digital Health Intervention for Patients' Use Before and After Elective Orthopedic Surgery: Qualitative Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2021, 23(3), e25885.
  • Robinson A, Slight R, Husband AK, Slight S. The value of teachable moments in surgical patient care and the supportive role of digital technologies. Perioperative Medicine 2020, 9, 2.
  • Bimpong KAA, Khan A, Slight R, Tolley CL, Slight SP. Relationship between labour force satisfaction, wages and retention within the UK National Health Service: a systematic review of the literature. BMJ Open 2020, 10(7), e034919.
  • Robinson A, Husband AK, Slight RD, Slight SP. Digital technology to support lifestyle and health behaviour changes in surgical patients: systematic review. BJS Open 2020, 5(1), zraa009.
  • Robinson A, Husband AK, Slight RD, Slight SP. Digital Support for Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: Narrative Review of the Roles and Challenges of Online Forums. JMIR Perioperative Medicine 2020, 3(2), e17320.
  • Robinson A, Oksuz U, Slight R, Slight S, Husband A. Digital and Mobile Technologies to Promote Physical Health Behavior Change and Provide Psychological Support for Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: Meta-Ethnography and Systematic Review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth 2020, 8(12), e19237.
  • Serou N, Sahota L, Husband A, Forrest S, Moorthy S, Vincent C, Slight RD, Slight SP. The psychological, emotional and behavioural impact of surgical incidents on operating theatre staff: a systematic review of the literature. British Journal of Surgery Open 2017, 1(4), 106-113.
  • Serou N, Sahota L, Husband AK, Forrest S, Moorthy K, Vincent C, Slight RD, Slight S. Systematic review of psychological, emotional and behavioural impacts of surgical incidents on operating theatre staff: Impact of surgical incidents on operating theatre staff. British Journal of Surgery Open 2017, 1(4), 106-113.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Hassan N, Wilson S, Marley K, Slight R, Slight S. Artificial intelligence informing clinical decision making on the risk of hospital readmissions in multi-morbid patients: a systematic review. In: Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference. 2024, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland: Oxford University Press.
  • Wilson S, Tolley C, Mc Ardle R, Beswick E, Lawson L, Slight R, Slight S, Hassan N. Strategies to develop, design, implement and support digital health equity in key underserved groups: protocol for a systematic review. In: Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2023). 2023, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: AAIC.
  • Hassan N, Slight R, Weiand D, Morgan G, Vellinga A, Mamdouh H, Gallier S, Sapey E, Slight S. Developing an AI-predictive model for predicting the likelihood of post-operative infection in surgical patients. In: The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Annual Conference. 2023, Oxford University Press.
  • Hassan N, Slight RD, Slight SP. Healthcare staff perceptions on using artificial intelligence predictive tools: A qualitative study. In: Faculty of Clinical Informatics Annual Scientific Conference 2022. 2022, Online: BMJ Publishing Group.
  • Hassan N, Slight R, Weiand D, Vellinga A, Morgan G, Aboushareb F, Slight SP. Predicting infection and sepsis; what predictors have been used to train machine learning algorithms? A systematic review. In: Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference (HSRPP 2021). 2021, Reading: Oxford University Press.
  • Hassan N, Slight RD, Bimpong K, Weiand D, Vellinga A, Morgan G, Slight SP. Clinicians' and patients' perceptions of the use of artificial intelligence decision aids to inform shared decision making: a systematic review. In: Public Health Science 2021. 2021, Online: The Lancet Publishing Group.

• Reviews

  • Wilson S, Tolley C, Mc Ardle R, Lawson L, Beswick E, Hassan N, Slight R, Slight S. Recommendations to advance digital health equity: a systematic review of qualitative studies. npj Digital Medicine 2024, 7(1), 173.
  • Hassan N, Slight RD, Morgan G, Bates DW, Gallier S, Sapey E, Slight SP. A road map for clinicians to develop and evaluate AI predictive models to inform clinical decision making. BMJ Health & Care Informatics 2023, 30(1), e100784.
  • Hassan N, Slight R, Weiand D, Vellinga A, Morgan G, Aboushareb F, Slight SP. Preventing sepsis; how can artificial intelligence inform the clinical decision-making process? A systematic review. International Journal of Medical Informatics 2021, 150, 104457.