Northumberland

Regional Manager

Sam joined Connect in 2000 and is currently Regional Manager for the South Tyneside, Darlington, Northumberland, Wakefield and North Kirklees MSK contacts. Previously, she was Service Manager for the 3 North East MSK contracts, responsible for line managing the Team Leaders in the service and managing relationships with the practices and CCGs. As well as ensuring key performance indicators for the services are met and our team are happy, supported and well informed.

Sam qualified as a Physiotherapist in 1996 from the University of East Anglia and worked in the NHS for 3 years as a Junior and then Senior MSK Physiotherapist in the South of England. In 2000, she then took up a Physiotherapy role at Connect in Newcastle which tied in with a move to the North of England.

Since joining Connect, Sam worked clinically for the first 10 years within the NHS services and Occupational services whilst taking on more managerial responsibility. Sam was involved in setting up Connect’s first intermediate services in North Tyneside and also the first PhysioLine service in South Tyneside. Since 2010, Sam has worked as an Operational Manager at service level and also regionally, successfully mobilising many new services in the North of England for Connect. She has completed an NVQ in Leadership and Management, and courses including project management, financial management, account management and development and coaching.

Clinical Operational Group Business Partner

Helen joined Connect Health in 2010 and currently works as a Clinical Operational Group Business Partner. Previously she held the position of Developing Consultant Physiotherapist, supporting staff across the North East contracts with education, clinical audits, clinical development and governance, whilst still practicing clinically as an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner (APP) in MSK CATS clinics and First Contact Practitioner Clinics.

Helen qualified as a Physiotherapist from Northumbria University in 2001 and worked in a variety of roles at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust before she joined Connect Health in 2010. During this time, she also completed a PGCert at the University of Teesside.

In 2017 and 2018, Helen co-authored 2 articles around the effectiveness of community MSK physiotherapy, and EQ5D outcome measures as a predictor of physiotherapy management. Helen also presented at Physiotherapy UK. Helen is the current Honorary Chair of the North East Charted Society of Physiotherapy regional network and is a member of the NICE Guideline Development Committee for hip, knee and shoulder replacement.

Operational Service Manager

An MSK Physiotherapist by background, Mike joined the Northumberland JMAPS service in October 2019 as the Operational Service Manager. Prior to this, Mike worked as a Service Transition Manager, supporting the design and implementation of new musculoskeletal (MSK) and pain services in London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

Mike brings knowledge of project management, data and digital solutions, NHS service delivery and design to the JMAPS team. Mike is passionate about population health, providing an outstanding service and positive patient experience to the people of Northumberland.

Mike is passionate about delivering patient-centred care and recognises the benefits that high quality, evidence-based physiotherapy can have on the quality of life. Alongside his role in Northumberland JMAPS, Mike also manages Connect Health’s remote services, providing virtual physiotherapy consultations and clinical triage to several Connect Health MSK Services.

Team Leader

Hannah joined Connect in 2012 and is currently working as a Senior Physiotherapist and Team Leader. She is currently responsible for supporting staff across the Blyth and Remote PhysioLine contracts which includes education, clinical audit and clinical development. She is also still practicing clinically as a Senior Physiotherapist within the Blyth and Remote PhysioLine contracts.

Hannah qualified as a Physiotherapist from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2006. She worked as a Junior Physiotherapist at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust before she joined Connect in 2012. She has completed Connect’s ADP programme and has worked across different contracts including Essex, North Kirklees, and the North East services.

Physiotherapy Team Leader

Karen joined Connect Health in 2018 and is currently working as a Senior Physiotherapist in South Tyneside, and recently became a Team Leader for Northumberland JMAPS and remote services. She will be supporting Mike Smith and working alongside Jessica Norris to support the Northumberland JMAPS Physiotherapy Team and remote services.

Karen studied at Keele University and graduated in 2015. She spent her first two years working in an NHS rotational post between Rheumatology, Pain and MSK. In this time she also worked as a Physiotherapist for Stoke City Football club with the Ladies Senior team and their Centre of Excellence. She also spent some time working with the FA in the North West. She moved to the North East in 2017 and joined Northumbria NHS trust and worked for six months in North Tyneside and Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in the Care of the Elderly Team. Karen is passionate about providing high quality and evidence based care. She is interested in research and education and started her MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology in September 2020 at Northumbria University.

Physiotherapy Team Leader

Jess graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in Summer 2014 and joined the Connect Graduate programme in December of the same year. She has since worked her way through from Junior to Senior Physiotherapist and earlier this year took on the role of Physiotherapy Team Leader within JMAPS. She has a special interest in Women’s Health, particularly in ante-natal pelvic girdle pain, and has worked with colleagues to improve the pathway and service for women’s health conditions in South Tyneside. Jess also took part in a national project of training various different clinicians of different experience levels in how to use computer based notes systems.

Clinical Lead

Before studying Physiotherapy, Rob achieved a 1st class honours degree in Sports Science from Sunderland University. This led to an interest in injuries and rehabilitation, so the natural conclusion was to complete a Pre Registration Masters degree to become a Physiotherapist. Rob joined Connect Health in 2009, and after 5 years he became an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist thanks to the internal colleague development programmes within the organisation, and a post gradual Masters Degree in Advanced Clinical Practice at Teesside University. Part of Rob’s earlier roles were also within learning and development, where he helped structure the first student placements within Connect Health’s North East branches, and contributed to the national development of the Physiotherapy Apprenticeship levy. On the side, Rob has been involved in several regional, national and international Musculoskeletal educational providers, and he took on a position of Research Lead within Connect Health. In 2020, Rob joined the Northumberland JMAPS ranks as an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist and Clinical Lead, where he very much looks forward to the integration of a truly collaborative partnership fostered between Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Connect Health.