Three physiotherapists – Will Gregory, Jenny Elkins (centre) and Heather Harrison – are pictured taking centre stage at an awards ceremony held in the Houses of Parliament in London earlier this month (1 April).

The UK-wide awards event was organised by the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) and was hosted by MP Mark Ferguson.

Linked to the London-based charity’s Act on Axial SpA; Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis work and campaign, the awards come in four levels

• Bronze: Engagement
• Silver: Active Participation
• Gold: Leadership
• Platinum: Sustainable Achievement

This year’s award winners included healthcare professionals from fields including physiotherapy, rheumatology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, radiology and chiropractic.

Jill Hamilton, the charity’s head of policy and health services, said: ‘The breadth of professional roles covered is testament to the fantastic way that so may have got behind the campaign, and how it has touched so many people, making them determined to play their part.’

Striking gold for Salford

Gold Award winner Will Gregory is a consultant physiotherapist based at Salford Royal Hospital, which is part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. Immediately after the event, Will tweeted: ‘Great to have celebrated with @NASSexercise and many colleagues across UK improving the lives of those affected by #AxialSpA. Had a great time at Houses of Parliament & honoured to have picked up an award as recognition for the work we have done at Salford Royal.’

Will runs education modules on the condition for students at University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as delivering regular education sessions for primary and secondary care healthcare professionals regionally, nationally and internationally. 

Will played a key role in the launch of an axial SpA screening clinic, which has helped to reduce patients’ waiting times. He has also linked up with gastroenterology and dermatology colleagues to develop a referral pathway to the axial SpA screening clinic and delivers relevant in-house training sessions.

‘The breadth of professional roles covered is testament to the fantastic way that so many have got behind the campaign, and how it has touched so many people, making them determined to play their part’ [Jill Hamilton, NASS]

Silver Award winners

Sliver Award winners included Jenny Elkins, a NASS Champion in Primary Care, clinical specialist physiotherapist and first contact practitioner (FCP). She works for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which is based in Newport, south Wales.  

Jenny has delivered education sessions at a local, regional and national level to improve awareness and recognition of axial SpA, and when to refer patients appropriately. She has linked in with development of the community health pathways and contributed to national policy in Wales regarding the axial SpA pathway.

Heather Harrison is a rheumatology advanced clinical specialist physiotherapist based at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. As well as running numerous education sessions in both primary and secondary care settings as well as private practice, she is involved in regular education sessions for fellow physiotherapists. Last year, Heather joined members of the local NASS branch in raising awareness of axial SpA on Scarborough seafront.

Advanced practice physiotherapist Kirsty Anderson, a NASS Champion in Primary Care who is based at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Advanced practice physiotherapist (APP) Steph Cliffe, a NASS Champion in Primary Care who works as an APP in musculoskeletal in rheumatology care at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, which is based in Stafford.

Lucy McCann, a NASS Champion in Primary Care, works as an APP and FCP in South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, and Arden Primary Care Network

Karen Morley-Williams, a NASS Champion in Primary Care, works as a spinal and rheumatology APP with Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. 

Bronze Award winners

Chad Critchley, an advanced rheumatology practitioner, works with Rochdale Infirmary, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.  

Gillian Lawrence, an advanced clinical physiotherapist and clinical lead first contact practitioner supervisor, works with Primary Care Physio in East and Central Lancashire. 

Harriet Goodison, a first contact practitioner with Primary Care Physio in Huddersfield. 

Katie Stables, a rheumatology specialist physiotherapist, works with Rochdale Care Organisation, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

NASS Team Award winners

Three specialist Axial SpA physiotherapists – Lauren Astell, Denise Kilby and Laura Andrews – celebrated with colleagues from Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after the team received a NASS Team Award at the event. As well as delivering education sessions in a range of settings, the team operates a dedicated axial SpA waiting list, which is monitored to ensure patients are diagnosed and managed in a timely fashion. 

The team has developed a ‘suspected inflammatory back pain pop-up tool’ to be used by all physiotherapists reviewing patients with back pain. 

Specialist physiotherapist Kathryn Rigler is part of a multidisciplinary team Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, which also received a NASS Team Award. The team actively promotes the NASS symptom checker to primary, secondary and community care colleagues.

Among other initiatives, Kathryn and her colleagues run regular educational events linked to the Rheumatology Academy and Collaborative Network. They also hold education sessions for primary and community care colleagues in the Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Integrated Care System areas. 

To find out more about NASS, see: https://nass.co.uk