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
Nikki Burr (Chair/APL Coordinator)
Nikki has 22 years’ experience in Hand Therapy clinical practice at Royal Free London and Mount Vernon Hospital London. She gained her Accredited Hand Therapist (BAHT) award in 2002 and MSc in Advancing Practice in 2005. She has undertaken research projects over the years with different colleagues and is still very interested in research. In 2015 she has become an independent prescriber to enhance her clinical practice. She is now a Consultant Hand Therapist helping run a large hand trauma service in North London
Contact: Email not available without JavaScript
Debbie Miles (Level I Co-ordinator)
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.
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Zoe Clift (Level II Co-ordinator)
Zoe has over 15 years experience in hand therapy having worked at Queen Victoria Hospital (East Grinstead), Chelsea & Westminster and Guy’s & St Thomas’ amongst others. She is now based at The Pulvertaft Hand Unit in Derby. Zoe gained a post graduate diploma in hand therapy in 2009. Zoe has previously served as a Director of BAHT on the Executive Committee and chaired the association between 2006-2009. She joined the ESC in 2012.
Zoe has been involved in education in many forms; running her own courses, teaching on BAHT validated courses, post graduate lecturing at several universities and as part of the UK International Emergency Trauma Response team. She continues to be involved in conference and workshop presentations, both in the UK and Internationally.
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.
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Kathy Whalley (AHT Co-ordinator)
Kathy is an Occupational Therapist and has worked in hand therapy within the NHS for 17 years in various sites across Hampshire. She currently works at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester. She has been an Accredited Hand Therapist since 2011 and joined the BAHT education committee in 2015. Kathy specialises in assessment, diagnostics and management of orthopaedic/MSK hand conditions with a personal interest in acquired wrist pain.
Kathy is passionate about effective management of hand conditions and is actively involved in research and training including guest lecturing at the University of Southampton.
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Penny Stuart (ESC Finance)
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
Karen Belward
Karen qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from Cardiff University in 1994. Since 2000, she has worked in the plastics and reconstructive surgery fields in Swansea and Exeter prior to moving to her current role in University Hospital Southampton where she leads the hand therapy team within orthopaedics and major trauma. She has been an Accredited Hand Therapist since 2018, joining the ESC in 2019. Karen has run BAHT validated level I courses, taught on BAHT level II courses and spoken at regional hand therapy study days.
Pascalle Smith - Hand Therapist
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.
Chloë Kirk (Pilbeam)
Chloë has over 10 years’ clinical experience in Hand Therapy and presently works at the Pulvertaft Hand Centre and Rheumatology Department at Derby. She gained her Accredited Hand Therapist (BAHT) award in 2018 and joined education committee. Chloë also has a role as a clinical educator teaching undergraduate medical students in rheumatology and musculoskeletal assessment/ treatment. She achieved her MSc in Advanced Physiotherapy in 2017. Her clinical interests include hypermobility, wrist and extensor tendon rehabilitation. Chloë is passionate about teaching, learning and education and how it improves the quality of patient care.
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