GPC Committee Members
Meryl Glover - Chair
Meryl is a Specialist Hand Therapist; she qualified as an Occupational Therapist in Liverpool.
She has worked in the field of hand therapy in Liverpool, Nottinghamshire, Leeds, Central London and Windsor.
Since 2013 she has been working independently in her own practice `The Hand Therapy Practice` based in Berkshire but works all around the UK with the Legal aspect of her practice.
Meryl has been working globally for 25 years both in India and Africa (Malawi) the work has been treating teaching and setting up services. She and two other therapists fundraised and set up a Limb fitting centre in Rural India.
Meryl received the BAHT Hand Therapist of the year award in 2006 in recognition for her global work. In March 2025 she was awarded a lifetime achievement award from IFSHT.
Meryl is passionate about global working and hand therapy and as Chair of the BAHT GPC committee she wishes to make Global work accessible to all those who wish to be part of it.
Pascalle Smith - Secretary
Pascalle is an accredited hand therapist with 24 years experience. Born in South Africa and raised across five African nations before completing occupational therapy training in 2000. In her early career she established a sustainable OT service in rural Uganda (2002) while overcoming resource limitations and cultural barriers. Her professional journey began at Salisbury District Hospital's specialised workshop facilities, followed by advancing clinical and managerial responsibilities at Queen Victoria Hospital focusing on acute trauma, burns, and plastics. Achieving Hand Therapy Diploma in 2008, subsequently joining Sussex MSK service as an Extended Scope Practitioner while simultaneously developing a private practice. Since 2019, she has been the therapy lead with British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) for the first reconstruction and burns unit in Sierra Leone, and was recently appointed Director of ReSurge Africa. Pascalle has extensive international experience in trauma, orthopedics, and plastics with a passion for applying diverse skills and knowledge to benefit patients and the global hand therapy community.
Sarah Mee - Marketing & Media
Accredited hand therapist with over 35 years of experience. Brought up in South Africa, taught there and volunteered in Malawi in 1994 in burns and plastics. Since 2019 has been Therapy Lead for the BSSH/BAHT LION development of a sustainable hand unit in Malawi. Worked since 2000 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London with generic hand therapists and 16 years as Consultant Hand Therapist. Runs first contact practitioner diagnostic triage clinics, interpreting imaging, booking surgery for acquired hand/wrist conditions and acute hand trauma and treating complex wrist and hand injuries and congenital conditions. Taught in Hand Therapy since 1990, is a Partner in N.E.S Hand Therapy Training LLP, lecturing nationally and internationally at congress, Masters, post grad, accredited and local courses.
Sarah has been active in BAHT for 35 years as Chair of the Education Committee, BAHT accredited course trainer, BAHT GPC, received Hand Therapist of the Year Award 2010 and 2024 received Natalie Barr Award for substantial contributions to hand therapy.
She is passionate about hand therapy, about teaching and turning on light bulbs for as many hand therapists as possible, in returning to her African roots with working and training in Malawi and developing global partnerships and training opportunities.
Meabh McConnell
Meabh is an OT who qualified in 2004 and has worked primarily in hand injuries throughout her career. She is based in the Ulster Hospital in Belfast, involved in the running of a therapist-led clinic there.
Meabh is a keen traveller, who has spent over 4 years travelling the world, including living and working in Australia and Nicaragua. Volunteering projects with the BAHT and BFirst have taken Meabh to Malawi and The Gambia in recent years. She is also involved with the Health Volunteers Overseas (USA) group and has delivered some remote lectures to Nepal and Ghana.
Aside from travel, Meabh enjoys outdoor swimming and playing water polo in the Irish league.
Karen Murphy - Treasurer
Karen is an Occupational Therapist working in Hand Therapy since 2004. She became a Certified Hand Therapist in New York in 2009, returning to establish Hand Therapy in an NHS Trust in 2009. Since then she has transitioned to private practice, managing an allied health clinic, treating all manner of upper limb issues, and completing medical legal reports. Karen's role in the Global Partnership committee is treasurer, and she has travelled to a project in Cambodia.
Jean Cahill - Marketing & Media
Jean graduated from the University of Wales, College of Medicine in June 2005. She has worked for the NHS and in private practice in London over 15 years in a variety of settings.
In March 2022 Jean relocated to Ireland and opened The Hand Therapy Clinic, a private clinic in central Dublin offering hand therapy services for the elbow, wrist and hand.
Jean is an active committee member of the Irish Association of Hand Therapists (IAHT) and of the Global Partnerships Committee with the British Association of Hand Therapists (BAHT). Jean has a keen interest in working in developing countries and has worked in Haiti and Nepal over the last 15 years. Jean is passionate about hand therapy and committed to developing the practice both nationally and internationally.