Practitioner Profiles

Heather Watson

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist and Company Director

MCSP. B. Physio (Hons). Adv Cert OH. PGC App Erg.

Heather qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist in 1995 from the University of Birmingham . She then worked in Birmingham in the NHS and at the Rover Group, then moving to the NHS in Middlesborough. In 1997 the family moved to Cumbria and she took on development of the Physiotherapy services at Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd (now known as BAE SYSTEMS Submarines), providing physiotherapy treatment for work related injuries, managing return to work after absence and providing ergonomics assessment and advice across the company on everything from office chairs to painting pipes. Another family move has brought Heather back to the Midlands where she has worked in the NHS as a Clinical Specialist (Superintendent) Physiotherapist, and in private practice and consultancy with PhysioWays Ltd.

Heather has extensive postgraduate training, having attended many courses over the last 10 years. Heather has gained further qualifications in clinical skills, completing the membership exams in Orthopaedic Medicine in 2000; and in occupational health and ergonomics, successfully completing the Advanced Certificate in Physiotherapy in Occupational Health at the University of East Anglia in 1999, and attaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Ergonomics with Distinction from the University of Nottingham in 2005.

Areas of special interest include work related injuries and addressing the underlying cause of injury wherever possible through the use of ergonomics and postural advice; and the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries, complex spinal pain and upper limb disorders (such as RSI) and sacroiliac problems.

Since 2006 Heather has also been a tutor for the “Get on the Ball” (Clinical Swiss Ball applications) rehabilitation approach, teaching Physiotherapists across the UK, and has recently been appointed as a visiting lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University the Vocational Rehabilitation Masters Degree course.

Lauren Atkinson
MCSP. BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy. Senior Physiotherapist.

Please note Lauren is taking a career break at present and will not be available between
December 07 and September 08

Lauren qualified as a Chartered physiotherapist in 2002 from the University of Nottingham . She began her career in the Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in Derby and worked there for 3 years before moving to work in Amber Valley Primary Care NHS Trust where she continues to work today. She has been working privately for Physioways since October 2005. As well as treating Musculoskeletal conditions in an outpatient setting, she has provided educational support in Anatomy for graduate entry level medical students at the newly established Medical School in Derby . At weekends she provides pitchside support for Derby Rugby Union Club and has been involved with development camps for the WRFU. In her spare time she is a British Gymnastics registered Trampoline Coach as well as a keen participant.

Jain Holmes
Senior Occupational Therapist, specialist in Vocational Rehabiliation

Jain Holmes is an occupational therapist registered with the Health Professions Council and graduated in 1990. She has worked in the NHS in the fields of neuromedicine, neurosurgery and neurorehabilitation, learning disabilities as well as general medicine. She has worked in the United States of America in the fields of older adults, rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation. As a senior lecturer, Jain worked at Sheffield Hallam University helping to develop and teach their MSc in Vocational Rehabilitation. Jain has been working in the independent sector for 7 years in a non-adversarial role developing rehabilitation programmes for a wide variety of clients. Jain has been actively involved with designing return to work rehabilitation, job analyses, job and workplace modifications as part of her role as an occupational therapist. She is experienced in negotiating with employers, solicitors, insurance companies, medical practitioners and allied health professionals.

She has been actively involved in several research projects, most recently one of the DWP's Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilots. She is currently writing a book for Blackwell Publishing on the topic of Vocational Rehabilitation. This year Jain has had comments and advice published in Personnel Today, The Independent on Sunday and for Stop RSI. Jain is chairperson for the Occupational Therapy specialist interest section for vocational rehabilitation, a branch of the College of Occupational Therapists.