Dr Patricia McClure

Dr Patricia McClure is a GOsC lay member of Council representing Northern Ireland.

Patricia is the Associate Head of School of the School of Health Sciences at Ulster University and Course Director of the MSc Professional Development in Occupational Therapy programme. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Practice. Patricia qualified as an occupational therapist in 1983 and practised for 12 years in mental health services in a number of senior and head occupational therapist posts. She then took up an academic post at Ulster University in 1995, teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Patricia was appointed as Associate Head of School in September 2005.

Patricia has served on several professional boards, committees and steering groups at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists over the past 20 years. She was the Chair of Council of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) from 2015-2019, having previously served as Vice-Chair, Higher Education Member and Chair of N Ireland Board. Patricia also held the position of Convenor of the Council of Occupational Therapy Education Directors from 2012-2016 and is currently Chair of the RCOT Audit, Investment & Risk Committee.

Patricia is an RCOT Accreditor, a Lead Visitor for the Health and Care Professions Council and an academic reviewer for CORU (regulator of health & social care professions in Ireland). She has a keen interest in pedagogical research and has been involved in various studies exploring health professional students’ learning experiences and professional development during practice education. Patricia is currently a member of the SAFE EUROPE research team investigating and identifying the gaps between the skills required by radiotherapists to perform their duties in comparison with education and training across Europe.