Rachel has been an advanced physiotherapist at Newcastle Hospitals for 10 years, and currently specialises in working with patients who have had spinal surgery – either planned or as an emergency – or have suffered a traumatic injury.
Before starting her current role two years ago, Rachel was a physiotherapist in neurosciences where she worked for five years.
What’s your involvement in this series?
We meet Rachel in Episode 2 of the series capturing a wonderful moment where she – alongside her colleagues – helps a patient, who has had a serious accident at work, to learn how to walk again.
“The scene where we are helping the gentleman take some steps for the first time is a brief insight into why I come to work every day and it’s amazing that we were able to capture this moment on TV – it’s truly special.
This was a really emotional moment and the whole team were absolutely thrilled with the achievement!”
Did you enjoy filming?
“When it was first mentioned to me, I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase the amazing work that the team do. Though I hadn’t quite grasped the fact that this would mean a camera following me round for a full day – which was exhausting!
It was an amazing opportunity and I hope that we have provided a useful insight to patients who may be apprehensive about being admitted under our care in the future.”
What made you get into this field of work?
“I have always been fascinated by the brain and the nervous system. My neuro journey started in paediatrics where I began a six month rotation cantering down the ward in order to encourage a child to try and walk.
This progressed into adult neuro, where conversations are certainly more fragrant and the range of therapy provision is diverse and meaningful.
“My role can range from helping someone walk following a routine operation, to walking for the first time in a month, to having a drink for the first time in weeks. It is a privilege to be involved in such special moments of patients’ journeys.”
Why do you enjoy working at Newcastle Hospitals?
“It’s an environment that encourages us to provide the best possible care to our patients. As we are major trauma centre, we get an incredibly diverse population of patient presentations. This is a constant challenge as it requires continuous learning and clinical progression.
There is also a strong focus on staff wellbeing and staff development. This is something that is very meaningful for someone who wants to continue to learn and improve.”
What do you do in your spare time?
When she isn’t helping patients get back on their feet, Rachel spends a lot of time outdoors trying to tire out her one-year-old working cocker spaniel, Clive. She also loves to travel (under normal circumstances) and cherishes spending time with family.
“I also really love food so I spend a lot of time cooking in the house, as well as sampling all of the North East’s delicious eateries.”
What would you say to someone who was interested in pursuing a similar career here?
As we are a major trauma centre, there are many opportunities to gain diverse clinical skills. When physiotherapists first qualify, we often start in a six monthly rotational post. This allows for development of practical skills in a wide variety of clinical specialties.
Personally, this allowed me to experience a lot of different working environments, before deciding to specialise in the area of most interest.
