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BAHT History - Its Formation and Development
The recognition of hand therapy skills began in the 1940’s. There is little evidence that much attention was focused in relation to specialist hand therapy in the United Kingdom |
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Nathalie Barr |
until well into the Second World War. Severe injuries suffered by servicemen resulted in the establishment of specialist rehabilitation units, including RAF Chessington in Surrey.
The role of occupational therapists and physiotherapists as hand therapists emerged through the work of groups of plastic or orthopaedic surgeons developing expertise in hand surgery.
In 1946 the first civilian day rehabilitation centre was opened in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, with R Guy Pulvertaft in charge – an orthopaedic surgeon internationally renowned for his great work in hand surgery. Nathalie Barr (Smythe) the great pioneer of Hand Therapy worked with Pulvertaft, who had a lasting influence |
on her professional life and enthusiasm for hand therapy. Mary Jones, a qualified physiotherapist and occupational therapist developed expertise working with patients with industrial hand injuries at Farnham Park Rehabilitation, Slough, Berks, which opened in 1947. Therapists working in these rehabilitation centres were pioneers of recorded work done relating to hand therapy.
Hand surgeons continued to develop hand services during the 1950s and occupational therapists and physiotherapists became recognised as integral members of the hand team.
Nathalie Barr moved to RAF Chessington in 1954 and was given every opportunity to develop her interest in hand therapy by Group Captain (later Wing Commander) Kit Wynn-Parry. She stated “this was a time of challenge and an era of excitement and ventures requiring imagination and initiative”.
In the early 1960’s, Nathalie moved to Hong Kong, to work with Paul Brand in the Leprosy field and realised even more the importance and value of integrated therapeutic support for the hand surgeon. The 60’s and 70’s produced further advances in knowledge and interest in the field of Hand Therapy. Skills in the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries were developed by Maureen Salter, a qualified physiotherapist who was also working closely with Wynn-Parry at Chessington.
During the 1970’s and 80’s, team work between occupational therapists and physiotherapists who shared an interest in the hand began to evolve. These teams included – Lynda Gwilliam and Ann Birch at the Wrightington Hospital, Sheila Lawton and Bobby Jarvis at the Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Taplow, Bucks, Carole Bexon and Megan Greenstock at Odstock, Salisbury, Sue Boardman and Annette Leveridge at Mount Vernon, Northwood, Victoria Frampton and Alison Monteith at R.N.O.H. Stanmore, Carol Robertson and Dawn Gillie in Newcastle.
Established hand centres were holding study days, the Occupational Therapy Special Interest Group in Orthotics and Prosthetics led by Lynn Cheshire and Maggie Ellis was programming work-shops and seminars, and groups of therapists with special interest in the hand were starting to form.
The British Association of Hand Therapists was formed on 4th February 1984, with the support and collaboration of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, which continues to this day.
Maggie Ellis from the Royal London Hospital became the founder Chairman of the Association, with Sally Gore as Secretary and Victoria Frampton as Treasurer.
The first conference was held at Warwick University in 1986, the opening paper being given by Nathalie Barr, entitled “Development of the Hand Therapist”. Frank Burke from Derby became the first Honorary President of BAHT at the York Conference in 1989. He described the formation of BAHT as a crucial step in the development of hand surgery facilities in the United Kingdom.
Over the years there has been evolution of the initial BAHT Newsletter sent to all BAHT members in duplicated form to a printed one, and then to the present time a professional British Journal of Hand Therapy which is recognised throughout the world. Today communication is enhanced by the establishment of the BAHT website.
During the late 80’s, channels for postgraduate education began to be explored, a working party being formed in August 1989. It was agreed that “hand therapists should be able to recognise their lack of training in certain skills” and that the aim of BAHT was to “provide the means for acquiring these skills where possible”. The first project of the working party was to establish a Basic Hand Course which could be validated – piloted at Harlow Wood Hospital, Nottingham in April 1990, the first validated BAHT course being run at the Bristol Royal Infirmary a year later by Melanie Downs. This proved a most successful venture, meeting the needs of hand therapists from various parts of the UK.
International liaison began, initially between the United Kingdom, United States, France and Belgium. BAHT was represented at meetings of the French and Belgian Hand Societies, culminating in the formation of the International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy in 1989 and the European Federation in 1990.
The death occurred on 23rd March 1993 of Nathalie Barr. At a memorial service in the city of London later that year four hand therapists were privileged to represent BAHT.
In June 1994, the second EFSHT meeting was organised by BAHT with the Irish Hand Therapy Association in Dublin, led by Lynda Gwilliam and Ann Birch. The guest speaker was Dr Wynn Parry giving a historical account of the development of hand therapy. In the same year, Maureen Salter was given the Nathalie Barr Award, BAHT recognising outstanding achievement by a hand therapist.
1996 brought changes in the organisation of BAHT, due to some generous bequests. Legal advice was sought on liability and BAHT, having previously had charity status, was registered as a company with Chairman and Treasurer named as Directors.
The British Association of Hand Therapists and the International and European Federations cannot stand still, reflecting upon past history. Since 1996 there has been further development of standards and validation, educational advancement and research. Members are now given the opportunity to apply for various awards and bursaries to forward their careers. There are now set pathways for therapists to gain Accreditation. The first award of “Accredited Hand Therapist (BAHT)” was presented to Bridget Ellis in September 2001. In the same year Dr Barbara Steward was appointed as Research Development Officer, supporting and advising therapists throughout the country in individual and group research projects.
Between 1994 and 2004 there have been four Nathalie Barr award winners – Maureen Salter, Annette Leveridge, Victoria Frampton and Kate Beresford.
BAHT could not succeed without the dedication of its committee members, but it is only by the work of all members of the association and interchange of ideas, research and enthusiasm, both in this country and abroad, that work, pioneered by Nathalie Barr, Mary Jones, Maureen Salter and many more, will move through the twenty first century, presenting an image that is respected and promoted throughout the world.
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