British Association of Hand Therapists

The Wessex Hand Club is a joint meeting of hand therapists and hand surgeons in Wessex

-  the geographical area loosely described by the 19th Century novelist, Thomas Hardy – i.e. Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire. In practice our members come from the towns and cities of Bath, Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Exeter, Poole, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton and Winchester.

The group was formed over thirty years ago by Professor Glanville and Mr Baron and has always had a multi-disciplinary focus in its teaching, encouraging the exchange of ideas between plastic and orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, rehabilitation specialists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The group meets once a year for a half or whole day programme – moving the venue around different locations within Wessex. The study day is normally held in the autumn/winter and presentations are encouraged from surgeons and therapists. The day is usually free or very heavily subsidised by our surgical colleagues. The meeting gives an excellent opportunity for gaining knowledge and networking with local surgeons and therapists.

There is no formal membership to the group and The Wessex Hand Club has been advertised in a casual manner – generallly by word of mouth and e-mail. The Club has no membership fee and is open to non-BAHT therapists.

I keep a database of the therapy members and use this to electronically circulate any relevant hand therapy information e.g. courses. The therapists also hold a meeting once a year which is a valuable networking opportunity. This meeting may address a clinical theme or seek presentations from across it’s members. There is also the opportunity for any of the hand therapy teams across the region to host and/or run the therapy meeting – I am always open to offers of help!

If you would like your details added to the database for the hand therapists linked to The Wessex Hand Club, we will ensure that your personal and professional information remains secure in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, and will not pass on your information to a third party without your prior consent. If you would like your details kept on this database, please email me the following information, your:

• Name and title
• Work address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Profession
• BAHT number (if member)

I shall look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Details Here

December 2010