Meet the team

Mr Andrews is an Orthopaedic trained spinal surgeon. He qualified from Cardiff Medical School and completed his Orthopaedic training on the all Wales training program.

His spinal fellowship was in Nottingham.

He specialises in adult and paediatric deformity surgery. He also has an interest in education: he has previously organised the Newcastle orthopaedic spinal training and is currently part of the teaching faculty for Medtronic and Globus.

Mr Bowey read medicine at the University of Aberdeen where he was awarded both the orthopaedic and radiology medals.

He completed the West of Scotland basic surgical training programme before moving to Liverpool for specialist orthopaedic training. Thereafter he was a fellow at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital (Liverpool), Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (Oswestry), Royal Victoria Infirmary & Great North Children’s Hospital (Newcastle) and Princess Alexandria & Queensland Children’s Hospital (Brisbane).

Mr Bowey started as a consultant in Newcastle in 2015 where he specialises in paediatric and adult deformity, utilising navigation, thoracoscopy, ALIF, OLIF and three column osteotomies. His research interests include explanted spinal implants and the growing spine. This work continues as part of his role on the panel for ODEP spine and the MHRA.

Mr Bowey is an educationalist, working as Sub-Dean of Medicine and senior lecturer at Newcastle University along with regional post-graduate training.

Mr Fender was appointed to Newcastle as a consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon in 2003 following a spinal fellowship with Geoff Askin in Brisbane.

His present practice is predominately paediatric, treating spinal deformities. Since his appointment he have been actively involved with registrar and fellow training and previously was the organiser of the Northern Orthopaedic lecture programme and spinal lead for the Newcastle Surgical Training Centre.

Currently he is the Clinical Lead for the Northern and North Cumbria Spinal Network.

Mr Rushton graduated with honours from Nottingham Medical School in 2009. His interest in paediatric spinal surgery grew during this time through research with Michael Grevitt.

He undertook orthopaedic training in the Northern Deanery including spinal training in Newcastle and neighbouring units. Subsequently he did a years paediatric deformity fellowship in the British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver. He then completed the Complex Spine Fellowship in Leeds. His consultant elective practice is around 75% paediatric deformity with the remainder adult lumbar/cervical degenerative work.

He has a strong interest in clinical research in paediatric spinal deformities with regular publications in this field. He is a member of the British Scoliosis Society (sits on research committee) and Scoliosis Research Society. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family, rugby union and test match cricket.

My name is Carolyn Cunningham. I began my nurse training in 2000 at Northumbria University and qualified as a Children’s Nurse in September 2003.

I started my career in nursing working as a staff nurse on the children’s trauma, orthopaedics and spinal ward, which was initially at the Freeman Hospital and later transferred over to the Great North Children’s Hospital at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
I have always had a special interest in caring for children with scoliosis and other spinal conditions, which led me to my current post in 2019 as Children’s Spinal Nurse Specialist. I am very passionate about my work and I always want the best for our patients and their families.

Something about me – I am full of enthusiasm and always on the go, both at home and at work and it’s not often you see me without a smile on my face!

Hi my name is Cathy Atkinson I graduated from the University of Ripon and York St John as an Occupational Therapist. My clinical experience has involved working with children and families in their home, community and school environments within the NHS and Children’s Social Care.

I recently joined the paediatric orthopaedic spinal team and am excited to be part of this expanding service. My areas of specialist interest are: paediatric physical disability, rehabilitation, equipment and environmental adaptations.

Fun fact: One of my favourite life experiences was sea kayaking off the coast of Vancouver Island.

My name is Roz Middleton. I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007. I had a small break from physiotherapy working as a ski instructor around the world, teaching children and adults with disabilities, before coming back to the North East.

After a wide range of experiences in adults I chose to pursue a career in paediatrics. Within paediatrics I have specialised in the community, special schools and acute MSK services, and am now part of the paediatric orthopaedic spinal team.

I aim to provide all patients with the best quality of care whilst bringing the joy to every session!

My name is Sophie Kevan. I graduated as a Physiotherapist from Northumbria University in 2009. After completing rotations in the paediatric specialities I worked in community paediatrics for 4 years. I really enjoyed the variety of this role, working into schools, homes and clinic settings. I have now come back to one of my favourite areas, working into orthopaedics and MSK in the Paediatric Spinal team.

I pride myself on being positive, smiley and fun and I feel very privileged that I get to meet and work with amazing children and their families every day.

Fact about me: I love animals. I have a cat called Harry, three chickens and four stick insects! My friends often call me Dr Doolittle!

My name is Joanne March, I qualified in 1989 as a Registered General Nurse and then completed my Registered Sick Children's Nursing in Newcastle in 1990.

I worked on the Children's Orthopaedic/Spinal ward at the Freeman as a staff nurse from 1990 until we moved over to the Great North Children's Hospital in 2010 and I was appointed Senior Sister there in 2013.

My extensive experience in the treatment of scoliosis surgery has seen progressive changes over the last 30 years, which has moved our service forward. The skill, passion and expertise of all our surgeons still amazes me and I am very proud to work alongside them. We proud ourselves in working well together as a Multi- disciplinary team.

My objective for myself and all the ward 10 team is to ensure that we deliver the highest quality safe patient care to all our patients and families.

We endeavour to offer the support patients and families need during their journey through Ward 10 following their spinal surgery.

I am very proud of what we have all achieved within this speciality and how we far we have progressed within our service.

My name is Christine Dobb, I qualified as a Registered Nurse and completed a post graduate Orthopaedic qualification and B.Sc (hons) Community Nursing (School Nurse). I have really enjoyed working in these specialities and Research Nursing in a variety of Trusts such as Bath, Leeds and within the North East.

In 2018 I returned to Newcastle Hospitals to take up my current post as a Research Nurse within the Orthopaedic Research Team.

It is a privilege and pleasure to work with the dedicated Scoliosis MSK team, to ensure children and their family feel fully informed to make a decision about participating in a scoliosis research study. I also make sure all necessary research related information is collected.

Fact about me: I love horses and make fabulous flapjack - Or so the Orthopaedic Research team tell me!!