About the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of BAHT is a group of members elected at the AGM to lead the organisation. The Executive's responsibility is to promote the objectives and manage the resources of the BAHT.

The individuals become Directors of the organisation according to the requirements of Charity Law.

The titles of the committee members reflect their specific responsibilities to lead in their area plus reporting to the whole committee at each alternate-monthly meeting. BAHT has been very fortunate to have had many forward thinking and hardworking committees over the years.

The Current Executive Committee

Leanna Topcuoglu (Chair)

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapist.Leanne gained her degree from Canterbury Christ Church University College in 2001. She has worked within the NHS for 14 years, with over 12 years experience in treating hand conditions. Leanne currently works for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals alongside a team of orthopaedic and plastics hand surgeons as a clinical lead hand therapist. Leanne is skilled in complex hand assessment and condition management with a special interest in complex polytrauma and CRPS

Contact: baht.chair@gmail.com

Linda Cornish (Vice Chair - Director of Communications)

My interest in hand therapy began whilst working in the south of England, and in 2002 started work as a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Hands for University Hospitals Southampton. In this role I worked alongside Specialist Hand Surgeons and undertook an MSc module in Injection Therapy.  Whilst there, I helped develop the Southampton Hand Course for Therapists and Surgeons from 2005 – 2018.  I have always worked predominantly in the NHS but have also worked in the private sector alongside my NHS work.  I now work as a Clinical Specialist / Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Hands at University Hospitals Dorset. I love being on the BAHT Executive Committee and have been a committee member since 2019. I enjoy the team working and networking opportunities it brings. I enjoy teaching and disseminating knowledge from courses and conferences to our hand therapy team members and students. I am always interested in relevant current research. I enjoy our links with the BSSH and more recently with our European Hand Therapy colleagues.  I am very keen to promote the future of hand therapy and explore ways we can move our profession forwards over the next few years.

Contact: baht.vicechair@gmail.com

Hayley Smith  (EFSHT Link)

Hayley is an occupational therapist, who has spent most of her time since graduating within hand therapy settings. She works both within the NHS and privately, currently full time at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust.

Hayley joined the BAHT executive committee in September 2015 and is keen to work within the Executive Committee to promote hand therapy across the country.

Contact: 

Miriam Parkinson (Director of Membership)

I have been a member of BAHT since 2001 and have benefitted tremendously from my membership over these years through our journal and the attendance of conferences, courses, northwest regional meetings, successful bursary application and via networking. I have always appreciated being part of a society that works hard to support and develop it's members to a high standard. It seems natural now to give something back by volunteering as director of membership on the BAHT EC committee. Indeed, I would consider it an honour.

contact: baht.membership@gmail.com

 

Fiona Powell (Director of Bursaries) 

Fiona qualified as an occupational therapist in 1994. She started her hand therapy career at Selly Oak hospital, Birmingham in a busy burns and plastics unit, before joining the Hand Rehabilitation team at Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1999, where she still works with a predominantly orthopaedic caseload.

In 2004, Fiona completed an MSc in Hand therapy at the University of Derby. She has since developed her skills in medicolegal practice and is a self-employed care expert for somek and associates, providing expert opinion in personal injury cases. In 2019, Fiona achieved accreditation from the British association of Hand Therapists.

Fiona is passionate about hand therapy and is pleased to be able to help contribute to the development of new hand therapists and the profession as a whole in the UK.

Contact: baht.bursaries@gmail.com

Sophie Lalor (Secretary)

Sophie has worked as a physiotherapist in the hands and plastics team at Mid Yorkshire
NHS Trust for just over 4 years following her previous rotational roles. She has a real
passion for hand therapy and has joined the executive committee as secretary to help
promote hand therapists and their work regionally and nationally. Sophie has attended
BAHT conferences in the past and is now excited to be involved in planning future
events to promote education and networking opportunities for all Hand Therapists.

 

Contact: baht.secretary@gmail.com

Sam Fenning (Director of e-bulletins)

Sam joined the executive committee as a co-opted member in January 2019.  She qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2007 from the University of Birmingham and has been working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust in the Plastic Surgery and Hand Unit since 2016 as a Specialist Physiotherapist. She has previously worked at other major trauma and specialist centres around the UK, including; The Royal London, Chelsea and Westminster and Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS Trusts within the area of Hands, Burns and Plastic Surgery since 2011. Sam is keen to promote the work hand therapists do and is involved in sending out a monthly e-bulletin to all BAHT members.

 

contact: baht.websiteandmedia@gmail.com

Janey Milligan: Consultant Hand Therapist, Belfast (Director of Journal)

Janey has worked in hand therapy for over 20 years and became an accredited hand
therapist in 2013. She was appointed as a consultant hand therapist in the Ulster
hospital, Belfast, in 2015 and works in the Northern Ireland regional plastic surgery unit.
Janey has a special interest in congenital hand / upper limb conditions. As well as
working in the NHS she has worked in private practice since 2004 with acute trauma
and post-operative hand therapy patients, professional and elite sports people and also
completing medico-legal professional reports and ergonomic OT assessments / reports
for a variety of businesses and industries across the region. She has been involved with
RCOT and BAHT for a number of years helping develop advanced clinical practice.
Janey was elected as Director of Journal for the executive committee in Nov 2022 and
has a keen interest in supporting BAHT both with the journal and forthcoming
conferences.

Contact: baht.journal@gmail.com

Susan Dargie (Director of Advertising)

Susan joined the executive committee as a co-opted member in September 2022 and
was elected to Director of Advertising in November 2022. Susan qualified as a
physiotherapist many years ago and has recently returned to practice as a Hand
Therapist in the Midlands. She has recently completed the Hand Therapy Post
Graduate Certificate at the University of Essex.
Susan has valued being a member of BAHT for many years and is looking forward to
the role of Director of Advertising as well as working with the rest of the committee to
promote Hand Therapy and the next annual BAHT conference.

 

Contact: baht.advertising@gmail.com

Emma Leather (Co-Treasurer)

Emma has worked in the NHS since 2004 when she qualified as a physiotherapist and
has worked exclusively in hand therapy for the last 7 years. Emma is the hand therapy
clinical lead at Airedale General Hospital on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales having set
up this service for the area.

Emma joined the BAHT committee in May 2022 in the role of secretary and social
media director. She has now been elected as Treasurer and will work alongside Laura
to manage all BAHT financial matters.

Contact: baht.treasurer@gmail.com

 

Laura Cooper (Co-Treasurer)

Laura has been a member of BAHT for approx 20 years and have had a variety of jobs
within this time. She has recently been successful in an appointment to B8 Clinical Lead
OT within Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS Trust and is now responsible for a large team of
therapists covering Plastic Surgery, Hands, Burns and Rheumatology specialities. Laura
would like the opportunity to join BAHT to help mould and shape national Hand Therapy
agendas and further promote the role of Hand Therapists.

 

Cate Allen (Director of Website & Media)

Cate has been a BAHT member since 2015. She has worked in Burns and Plastics for a
number of years as a Clinical Specialist at Pinderfields hospital, before moving to
Wythenshawe hospital as an Advanced Practitioner. Cate now runs the MSc Hand
Therapy Programme at Derby University and has a keen interest in Hand Therapy
education, hand trauma, pain and the development of the Hand Therapy professional
field. This has resulted in her desire to join the BAHT executive committee, to be
involved and help in future developments and provisions for Hand Therapists. If you
have any feedback or suggestions for the BAHT website then please get in touch.

Contact: baht.websiteandmedia@gmail.com

 

About the Education Sub-Committee

The BAHT Education Sub Committee is run by qualified occupational therapists and physiotherapists who all have a special interest in hand therapy education and in promoting the BAHT education system and Accredited Hand Therapist award. They give their time voluntarily and each member takes responsibility for a different aspect of the committees' role.

Any information you may wish to submit to the committee should be received by the administrative secretary no less than 2 weeks prior to the meeting date.

The Current Education Sub-Committee

 

Debbie Miles (BAHT ESC Chair)

Debbie is a Physiotherapist and Accredited Hand Therapist who has been on the education committee since 2012.  She started her hand therapy career at St George’s Hospital in London in 2008, before moving to a role setting up a new hand therapy service at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2015.  Debbie was involved in organising and running a BAHT level I course whilst at St George’s and has since developed level II courses in acupuncture, paediatric hand therapy and splinting independently.  Having always had a keen interest in education, Debbie moved into a full-time academic role at the University of Essex in 2018 whilst continuing some clinical hand therapy work alongside this for Ramsay Healthcare.

Contact: baht.escchair@gmail.com

Chloe Kirk (APL Co-ordinator

Chloë graduated in 2004 and specialised in the treatment of musculoskeletal and hands since 2007. She has worked at the Pulvertaft hand centre for the last 10 years and also has specialised in addition in Rheumatology for the last 5 years. She has previously held roles as a clinical educator to the medical students in both hands and Rheumatology and has a passion for teaching, learning and education. She has taught on BAHT level 1 courses and at local universities on undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Her specialist interests are wrist conditions, hypermobility, inflammatory arthritides and tendon injuries. She completed her postgraduate MSc in 2017 and became an accredited Hand Therapist in 2018 when she joined the Education committee as BAHT level 1 co-ordinator until 2022 (due to maternity leave) and now supports marking and validation of courses.

Contact: baht.apl@gmail.com

Matthew Allen (Level 1 Co-Ordinator)

Matt has worked in the hand therapy team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital since 2012.
During his time with the team, Matt has had the opportunity to develop his hand therapy
knowledge and skills thanks to the support of colleagues and the education framework
developed by BAHT. His main clinical interests include the assessment and management of
acute hand trauma, fracture and tendon rehabilitation and hand therapy education.

Matt joined the Education Sub-Committee in 2020, taking on the role of Advanced Clinical
Practice (ACP) link for the BAHT ACP Network. More recently, he has taken over as the Level
I co-ordinator.

Contact: baht.level1@gmail.com

Nicole Glassey & Sarah Golding (Level 2 Co-ordinator)

Nicole Glassey and Sarah Golding share responsibility for the busy role of level II co-ordinators.

Nicole is a Physiotherapist and both a British and European Accredited Hand Therapist. Nicole qualified in 1991 and has spent most of her career working in Nottingham where she has recently gained the post of Consultant Physiotherapist. In addition to this Nicole is an associate lecturer and module leader for the MSc in Hand Therapy at the University of Derby. Nicole has published many research papers, book chapters and her own book. She has also validated and run her own BAHT Level II course so understands the challenges this involves. Nicole enjoys the combination of clinical and academic practice and looks forward to utilising her experience in supporting the provision of quality education to hand therapists.

Sarah is a Physiotherapist and Accredited Hand Therapist working within the NHS and higher education. Sarah trained at the University of Hertfordshire qualifying in 2002 and started her NHS career in Southend Hospital. Currently Sarah is part of a dynamic NHS team in Essex working in primary care as a first contact physiotherapist seeing hand conditions and injuries presenting at the earliest point! In addition to this, Sarah works within higher education as a postgraduate lecturer at the University of Essex, providing various masters modules and pathways for clinicians advancing their practice. Completion of her own postgraduate MSc and publication of her dissertation was a huge challenge but has been instrumental in advancing her career. Sarah enjoys supporting clinicians to utilise research evidence to inform and impact their clinical practice, her strong clinical background and continued clinical work facilitates this! Having completed various BAHT validated courses over the years which played an important part of her development, Sarah is very happy to support others through her role in the education committee.

Contact: baht.level2@gmail.com

Ella Donnison (Level III Co-ordinator)

Ella has been on the committee since 2006 and took on the Level III co-ordinator role in 2007. She is an Occupational Therapist, based at the Pulvertaft Hand Unit in Derby. Areas of interest include hand and upper limb therapy education and training and therapy within amateur and high performance sport.

Contact: baht.level3@gmail.com

Penny Harper (ESC Finance/Website Co-ordinator)

Penny is the lead for the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Hand Service. Penny has worked extensively within the specialist area of Hand Therapy since qualifying in 1997. She has worked throughout the UK, Scotland and abroad. Clinical experience has focused on plastic surgery and orthopaedic hand surgery patients with hand and upper limb injuries, rheumatological conditions, within the specialist areas of performing arts medicine, and the neurological impaired upper limb. More recently one of Penny’s main achievements has been the setting up of one of the first Virtual Hand Fracture Clinics in the UK and is currently working with NHSi in the development of educational exercise videos which will be rolled out nationally.

Penny thoroughly enjoys the field of hand therapy, the complexity and intricate anatomy of the upper limb and the impact that this specialist area of work can have upon people’s lives. Her aim is to maximise the resources we have available, to provide first class hand therapy of all patients with hand and upper limb conditions.

Penny enjoys spending time with her partner and two young children. She likes baking cakes with her children, whilst listening to music, and loves to go for a run, especially when her daughter tags along too! 

Contact: baht.escfinance@gmail.com

Pascalle Smith - Hand Therapist (AHT Co-ordinator)

Pascalle is an accredited hand therapist and has worked as a specialist hand therapist for 19 years, following graduation as an Occupational Therapist from Southampton University. After graduation she worked at the Wessex Rehabilitation Unit at Salisbury Hospital and enjoyed focusing on long term rehabilitation in hand therapy. Where she gained specialist knowledge in assessment of chronic hand conditions and rehabilitation of the upper limb. She has also worked in the NHS at Queen Victoria Hospital East Grinstead gaining specialised experience and skills in hand trauma and plastic reconstruction. Since having family in 2009 Pascalle has worked in independent practise in private clinics in Sussex and Kent and as an Extended Scope Practitioner in a MSK service. She has taken part in clinical research to promote and develop patient care and reviewing treatment effectiveness. Pascalle is enthusiastic about education and has been fortunate to teach overseas.

Pascalle was previously Treasure for the British Association of Hand Therapists and is looking forward to returning to join the BAHT committee. She is keen to promote the specialist profession, encouraging new developments, research and ensuring best clinical treatments are available for patients.

Contact: baht.aht@gmail.com

Raelene Marx 

Raelene has been practising in the area of Hand Therapy for longer than she would care to remember and is still loving it. She has been an Accredited Hand Therapist with the British Association of Hand Therapy (BAHT) since 2015 and has also completed post graduate qualifications in Injection Therapy, Acupuncture, Leadership in Healthcare and Innovation in practice. Most recently (in 2023) Raelene was rewarded the title of Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Health Education England first cohort of Allied Health professionals' ACP e-portfolio route.

Qualified as an Occupational Therapist at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) in 1996, she worked in private practise in South Africa, before she relocated to the UK in 2000. 

Since making London her home, she has worked at several London Teaching hospitals as a clinical specialists in hand therapy (Mount Vernon Hospital, St Mary's Hospital and St Thomas Hospital). Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (London) has been her employer since 2003 where she has been the Clinical Lead of the Hand Therapy department until 2023, whereafter she took on a part-time position as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner, alongside working as a hand therapist in the private sector.

Raelene has presented on new innovative treatments in both European and British Hand Therapy conferences and her passion is to call out the gold in others, empowering both therapists and patients to reach their optimal potential. She  has had the opportunity to work with charitable organisations in developing countries Sierra Leone and rural parts of South Africa where she provided training to local therapists.

She loves the following quote by Nelson Mandela which has inspired her practice.
"It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it."

Contact: baht.additional3@gmail.com

Anne Alexander - Advanced Practice Network (APN) co-ordinator

Anne has 15 years hand therapy experience as a clinical specialist Physiotherapist in the NHS at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, within the Oxford Hand Therapy Unit. She treats complex trauma and orthopaedic hand injuries in the NHS, and within private practice she has a special interest in the management of thoracic outlet syndrome, and in treating musicians. She gained an MSc in Advanced Physiotherapy in 2007, and became an accredited hand therapist (AHT) from the British Association of Hand Therapists in 2020.  She has presented at National and International Conferences, with a combination of primary research (reliability of goniometry in video assessment, IFSHT 2022; transverse movement of the median nerve in upper limb tension test positions, IFSHT 2010) and as an invited speaker (on panel discussion about nerve injuries and rehabilitation , BAHT conference 2009; rehabilitation after tendon transfers for radial nerve palsy, BAHT / BSSH scientific meeting 2013)

Anne is currently starting cohort 2 of the ACP Portfolio (Supported) route, and as such has a keen interest in forging links via the ACP network.  Anne became a member of the ESC in 2022 and took over the role of ACP network co-ordinator at the start of 2023.

Contact: baht.acp@gmail.com

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2024 Upcoming ESC Meeting Dates:

 

• 12th September

 

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How to Join the BAHT Education Sub-Committee

If you are interested in becoming involved with the BAHT Education Sub Committee, please contact us as we are often looking for:

• New members
• Supervisors for level III and APL applicants
• Assessors for level III and APL applicants
• Course external representatives

Please address any queries to Email not available without JavaScript

Cynthia Srikesavan (Chair)

Physiotherapist - London

Cynthia currently works as a Senior Researcher in Physiotherapy at the University of Oxford. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy in 1998 in India. She then worked in different teaching capacities alongside clinical responsibilities in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Gujarat in India for around nine years. She also completed her MSc and MPhil in Psychology and a Masters degree in Physiotherapy before moving to Canada for higher studies. Cynthia was awarded a PhD in Applied Health Sciences from the University of Manitoba, Canada in 2015 for a mixed-method study on a computer game-based hand exercise programme for people with rheumatoid arthritis or hand osteoarthritis.

Cynthia began working at the University of Oxford in June 2015 in a postdoctoral capacity. Her main research areas are hand rehabilitation in arthritis conditions, implementation, digital health interventions, and musculoskeletal patient-reported outcome measures. She is trained in conducting quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research studies, systematic reviews, and clinical trials.

Cynthia has published her research work in peer-reviewed journals and has also presented at various national and international physiotherapy conferences including the World Physiotherapy Congress. She is passionate about high-quality healthcare evidence and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research. She is a keen supporter and contributor of the Cochrane collaboration and PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database).  Cynthia joined the CEC in 2020, becoming chair in 2021.

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Work profile

 

Victoria Jansen

Physiotherapist – Derby

Victoria graduated as a physiotherapist in 1996, and initially specialised in burns, plastics and trauma working in the Burns units at Roehampton, and East Grinstead as well as abroad in Auckland, New Zealand and Singapore. Victoria has worked in the Pulvertaft Hand Centre, in Derby since 2000, and her caseload includes both acute hand trauma and chronic conditions. Victoria has a dual role as both a senior hand therapist and a researcher.

Victoria’s special interest is in the therapy management of hand OA and wrist pain, with thumb OA being the focus of her current research activity. She has presented her research at national (BAHT) and international conferences (IFSSH and EFSSH) and published her work in peer reviewed journals.

In 2014, she was awarded a HEE/NIHR ICA Programme Masters Studentship and completed a Master’s in Research Methods at the University of Nottingham.

Victoria joined the CEC in 2017 and chaired the committee from 2019-2021. Victoria is committed to continuing to support members to develop the knowledge base for the conditions we treat, and the evidence base for hand therapy practice.

ORCID

 

Suzanne Beale

Occupational Therapist – Birmingham

Suzanne qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1991 and has specialised in Hand Therapy since 1996. Suzanne currently works as a Clinical Specialist Hand Therapist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Hand (QEHB), starting this role in 2001.

Since 2015, Suzanne has also worked as an academic research therapist within the Hand and Peripheral Nerve Service at QEHB. Suzanne’s specialist interest is within the peripheral nerve injury service, specifically the assessment and treatment of nerve and tendon transfers. Other interests include patient education and post-graduate training of therapists within hand therapy.

Suzanne completed a Masters in Hand Therapy at Derby University in 2005. Suzanne joined the BAHT CEC in 2016 and is keen to support the further development of research in the clinical workplace.

 

Catherine Rolls

Physiotherapist – Bristol

Cat completed an undergraduate degree in Biological Science at Oxford University in 2003 and subsequently graduated from Kings College London in 2006 with an MSc in Physiotherapy. She has been working as a Hand Therapist since 2012. Cat has worked predominantly in the NHS and has a strong background in orthopaedic trauma, with an interest in compression neuropathies of the upper limb. Cat continues to work in a clinical capacity at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

In 2018 Cat was awarded an HEE/NIHR internship to conduct a systematic literature review into the incidence of CRPS after wrist fracture. This work has been published in Hand Therapy. Cat followed this with an Above and Beyond charity research grant to look at local CRPS pathways. She is currently undertaking an NIHR Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF) with a focus of persistent pain after wrist fracture.

Cat joined the BAHT CEC in 2020 and is keen to support hand therapists interested in starting a career in clinical academia.

ORCID