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