James Bruce (Chair) | Occupational Therapist

James is an Occupational Therapist employed within the Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital. He works as an ICU clinical specialist in a unique role focused on early rehabilitation, humanistic care, and rehabilitation education across the ICU team. He engages patients in early rehabilitation, screens rehabilitation needs and delivers rehabilitation throughout the post ICU inpatient pathway.

James has a strong interest in upper limb dysfunction following critical illness, long term functional outcomes, and learning directly from patients to improve acute care practice. He is currently completing a research fellowship to strengthen his research pillar of practice.

He has co-authored the Occupational Therapy chapter for GPICS versions 2 and 3, and the GPICS Rehabilitation chapter version 3. He is an Intensive Care Society council member, deputy of learning in the ICS, associate editor for JICS, a steering group member for the current JLA and ICS adult critical illness research prioritisations and a steering group member for the NCEPOD rehabilitation following critical illness study. He supported the development of the AHP Critical Care Professional Development Framework. He is the Chair of the ICS AHP Professional Advisory Group, co-chairs the AHP Critical Care Network for the South West of England and deputy chair of the recent formation of the UK and Ireland OT ECMO network.