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On this page we invite members of our team to introduce themselves and give a little background information.
Sue Poutney
Job Title: Secretary to Dr Soopramanien
Department/Ward/Area of work: Admin
Chris Beaver
Job Title: Secretary to Mr Tromans, Consultant in Spinal Injuries
Department/Ward/Area of work: Admin
Mr A M Tromans
Department/Ward/Area of work: Consultant
Interests: Respiratory and long term ventilation
When did you come to the spinal unit? 1991
Paul Stephens
Job Title Discharge Co-ordinator
Department/Ward/Area of work Discharge Service
Role and Responsibilities Liaison with Social Services Departments, Primary CareTrusts, Local Authorities and other statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure a safe and timely transfer of care into the community from the Spinal Unit.
Interests Family and church responsibilities. Missionary work in Kenya, working with elderly and disabled people in remote rural areas of the Western Province.
When did you come to the spinal unit, what did you do before? Qualified as a Social Worker in 1980. Worked as a community based social worker for the elderly and disabled in rural North Dorset for almost ten years before joining the hospital social work team in 1990. Based in the Spinal Unit until 1999. Left to pursue interests in Kenya until 2004 when parental ill health forced a return to the UK. Employed by the Trust as Discharge Co-ordinator since May 2004.
Kathryn Harris, Respiratory Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist.
I qualified as a physiotherapist in 1988 and worked in various hospitals in London to gain my general experience.
I first worked with spinal cord injuries for a year and a half in 1992 - 1993 at The University of Virginia Health Sciences Centre in the USA.
I came to work here at the Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury in 1994 and I have been in this role since 1996/7. I currently work part time, 3 days a week and I share the job with Wendy Hedley who works 2 days a week.
The spinal unit cares for patients who need assistance with their breathing. Depending on their injury this can mean that these patients need a ventilator for a little while or they may go home using a ventilator.
My responsibilities as Respiratory Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist for the spinal unit are to co-ordinate all aspects of respiratory care for acute patient through to discharge and continued follow up of those at home on ventilatory support.
Our role involves a lot of teaching and between Wendy and myself we are responsible for respiratory training for all the clinical staff on the spinal unit – about 110 people!
I have lectured at study days and conferences on the respiratory care of the acute spinal cord injured patient, and long term ventilation in SCI.
I am a member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC) and the Respiratory In Spinal Cord Injury (RISCI) multidisciplinary special interest group.
I am co-author of the chapter on “Spinal Cord Injuries” in “Physiotherapy for Respiratory and Cardiac Problems.” (Pryor and Prasad) textbook.
John Aves
Job Title Technical Instructor
Department/Ward/Area of work Spinal Unit Physio/OT Dept
Role and Responsibilities Maintenance of all spinal unit wheelchairs – manual/powered/lightweight.
Giving advice to in/out patients on purchase of manual & powered wheelchairs.
Maintenance and booking out of unit vehicles.
Making various “one-off” items as required
Interests Mainly church-based activities.
Actively involved in a charity which takes refurbished wheelchairs to Third World countries.
Walking & cycling – yes, even at my age!
When did you come to the spinal unit, what did you do before? I joined the spinal unit on the nursing side in April 1984 and moved to the therapy department in 1985. Prior to that I worked as a bank messenger/driving instructor/sales rep for a book company/church worker/Youth Hostel warden/ engineer on British Railways (as it was then called) – they even had steam trains!
Matt Fiddy
Job Title: Outpatient Technician
Department/Ward/Area of work: Pressure Clinic/ Outpatient Nurses
Role and Responsibilities: Nurse cover for consultant clinics, VUDs (nursing), seating assessments (in patient and out patient) Equipment and loans
1997 Health Care Support Worker, 2000 Senior Health care support worker, 2003 Tech 2 Outpatient Technician
Sarah Allen Perez
Job Title Outpatient Sister
Department/Ward/Area of work Based in Pressure Clinic. Involved with inpatient and outpatient services.
Role and Responsibilities Inpatient: involved in seating, and video-urodynamic (bladder) investigations.
Outpatients: Part of the multi-disciplinary outpatient appointment, including seeing people in pressure clinic.
Telephone advice for patients, relatives and carers etc on a wide variety of topics.
Bowel assessment and advice service
Interests I have a special interest in continence issues following SCI and information resources.
When did you come to the spinal unit, what did you do before? I have worked at the spinal unit since 2003. I graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in Nursing Studies in 1997, since then I have worked overseas and in the general side of the hospital.
Wendy Slater
Job Title Clinical Nurse Specialist/ Spinal Unit General Manager
Department/Ward/Area of work: Outpatient Dept and Admin Dept
Role and Responsibilities: Strategic management of Spinal Centre Outpatient Services. Specialist Nurse for Outpatient Services. Management of Outpatient Nurses, Secretaiat, Discharge Co-ordination and Therapy managers
Interests: Bladder/bowel magement- continence
When did you come to the spinal unit? 1986
Badg Champion
Job Title Webmaster.
Department/Ward/Area of work Cadet Technologies Ltd. Web design & development.
Role and Responsibilities Periodically attend web site meetings at the Unit. Advise on and implement development of the web site.
Interests I have a special interest in SCI having attended the unit following a C6/7 injury.
When did you come to the spinal unit, what did you do before? I was here in the early 90's. Prior to that I worked in worldwide support of capital equipment in the electronics industry.
