Health and Care Advisory Group members

Balsam is a Consultant in Public Health at Newcastle Hospitals and Honorary Lecturer at the Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University. In addition to her role in the hospitals she has a regional role as Co-Lead for the Public Health Speciality at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN).

Balsam is passionate about using arts and science in public health to embed equity, prevention and early intervention in services and care pathways. She is a strong advocate of research, capacity and capability building and knowledge mobilisation and has published widely on various topics relevant to public health practice. More recently she has shared her lived experience as a mother of a young person with a spinal cord injury who have had to spend considerable time as an inpatient in hospital. Here on the other side of the fence, as a carer, Balsam has had the lived experience of navigating health and care in and outside hospital and seeing firsthand the impacts this has on patients with spinal cord injury and their families. She has also been able to observe the practical help and support charities such as SIA give to people with spinal injury and their families. It is for this reason she has joined the Frank Williams Academy’s Health and Care Advisory Group to give something back by sharing insights and knowledge from both professional and personal experiences in order to improve outcomes of spinal cord injured people and their families.

Dr Victoria Bancroft is a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist specialising in neurorehabilitation at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

She has worked in specialist rehabilitation for 14 years with considerable experience of supporting individuals with a range of conditions including spinal cord injury (SCI) across the pathway from acute care to community-based support. She currently leads a team of psychologists working in specialist neurorehabilitation at King’s College Hospital.

Through directly supporting individuals in neurorehabilitation settings, she understands the experience and needs of people with SCI in this context. She is committed to raising standards of care for patients and families and ensuring that psychological support is individually tailored and provided in a timely manner. She also works closely with allied professionals as part of a multidisciplinary leadership team which gives a broad perspective on the needs of those with SCI in an inpatient rehabilitation setting.

I was appointed to Mid-Yorkshire Teaching Trust as a Consultant Urologist with a specialist interest in Neuro-urology and Reconstruction in 2014. I am a faculty member for the Spinal injuries in urology course and the uro-neurology academy. My research interests include optimising surveillance and management pathways for spinal injuries patients. My hobbies include road cycling, football and skiing.

I have 15 Years experience working as a nurse, I qualified on a neurosurgical spinal ward in 2010.

I progressed to a sister and then was given the opportunity to develop a specialist nurse role within the spinal division, early into the development opportunity, I developed a keen interest in caring for patients with spinal cord injuries so over the years I tailored my specialist nurse role into supporting these patients.

When the transformational project was put into place I was successful in being recruited into the spinal injuries rehabilitation specialist nurse role within the Greater Manchester SCI outreach service and have been working in this team now for over 3 years.

Joshi George is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Specialist Spine Surgeon at the Northern Care Alliance. He is Chair of the Manchester Centre of Clinical Neurosciences, one of the largest neuroscience centres in the world. He is the Spine lead for the Society of British Neurological Surgeons and sits on both the SBNS and BASS (British Society of Spine Surgeons) councils. He is the Specialist Spine Surgeon for the National Complex NF1 (Neurofibromatosis Type 1) service based in Manchester. He is also chair of the National MDT for hypermobility and suspected craniocervical instability in England. He is the curriculum lead for STIG – a training program for Spine surgeons in England.

I work as a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine in Kent & South-East London, having previously lead and developed neurorehabilitation services in London. I work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, supporting individuals with brain and spinal cord injuries.

Making the patient voice heard is a value I hold dearly. I have also worked as an advisor to start-ups tackling health challenges encountered in older age. Prior to pursuing a career in medicine, I worked in the financial, legal and not-for-profit sectors. I enjoy writing, dancing and spending time in nature.

My name is Rachel Jemmett.  I am a trained physiotherapist and have worked in Cardiff and Vale University Health board since September 2000. I have worked primarily within the field of trauma and spines progressing to physiotherapy team lead and then clinical lead for acute spinal pathology. These roles allowed me to develop a specialist interest in the acute management of spinal cord injury.

Over the past 3 years I have worked as AHP lead for Major Trauma.  Part of the role is to support the rehabilitation requirements across the acute pathway for persons admitted with traumatic spinal cord injury. I have recently completed a MSc in Advanced health Care Practice.

I look forward to working with the SIA as part of the Health Care Advisory Group to shape and develop services, advocating for persons with spinal cord injury. Outside of work, I enjoy climbing, being outdoors, exploring different parts of Europe in our campervan and spending time with family and friends.

Altaf Mangera is a consultant urologist working at the Princess Royal spinal Injuries centre and Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. He graduated, with Honours, from the University of Sheffield, Faculty of Medicine in 2005. He was the first scholar ever to be awarded a two year fellowship from the Urology foundation and has subsequently completed his M.D. thesis in the field of tissue engineering for stress urinary incontinence.

He has authored 15 book chapters and published 85 journal articles. His specialist interests include reconstructive urology, neuropathic bladder, tissue engineering, Andrology, male sexual dysfunction and fertility.

I am a Physiotherapist with 19 years of experience. I have worked in South Wales throughout my career. Following my junior physiotherapy rotations, I became a neuro specialist and have treated patients with neurological conditions through all inpatient settings including acute and specialist rehabilitation and out into the community.

In my current role I work as the Rehabilitation Coordinator for the Major Trauma Centre in Cardiff. I support patients through their acute stay following traumatic spinal cord injury from intensive care to acute wars and through to rehabilitation whether this is at a specialist centre or local rehabilitation units. I am involved in educating and supporting patients and their relatives in the acute spinal pathway, but I have a particular passion for life after spinal cord injury and what happens once people leave the hospital setting.

I am hoping in my role with the SIA CAG that I will be able to support a wider number of people to achieve their goals and live well following spinal cord injury.

Dr. Kim Ozano is a seasoned health systems researcher and advocate with over 20 years of experience in health research, evaluation, capacity building, and policy influence. She specialises in co-production approaches that promote equity within health systems and foster community partnerships.

Through various research networks and multiple programs, she advances the science and practice of equity and action research in health. Kim plays a focal role in shaping health policy and practice through effective knowledge generation and translation, as well as her podcast, “Connecting Citizens to Science.” Her previous experience as a Public Health Commissioner has equipped her with an understanding of the importance of synthesising evidence in a clear and impactful manner and providing actionable recommendations for policy and practice. Drawing from her experiences as a researcher and as a partner to someone with a spinal cord injury, she is passionate about leveraging her skills to make a meaningful difference for individuals, families, and friends affected by spinal injuries.

Liz has worked as a Clinical Psychologist within the National Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital since 2007. As well as supporting her patients in managing the emotional impact of their SCI, Liz has a special interest in supporting the whole multi-disciplinary team working with SCI patients to recognise and deliver psychologically informed care. Liz has presented on many aspects of psychology in SCI at a range of conferences including MASCIP and ESPA (the European Spinal Psychologists Association).

Since 2008 Liz has also been the Lead Psychologist for the Regional Burns unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. In this role she has been involved in clinical advisory groups responsible for updating the National Burn Care Standards, and the recently published ‘National Outcome Measures in Adult and Paediatric Burn Care’ document from the British Burns Association.

This, combined with her pre-psychology work history of being a line manager in a chocolate factory demonstrates her interest in processes, policies and standards as well as the people behind all of these.

Liz is looking forward to contributing to the great work of the SIA through her membership of their Clinical Advisory Group.

Currently works as a Clinical Specialist Spinal Cord Injury physiotherapist in the private sector, predominantly working in community settings. Prior to this Hannah worked for the NHS at the NSIC Stoke Mandeville from 2003 until 2019 in clinical, operational and managerial roles in the inpatient rehabilitation setting, acute outreach and as NSIC Therapy Lead.

Her specialist interests include posture and seating, pain management, parenting following SCI, and cauda equina syndrome. She is passionate about everyone having access to specialist rehabilitation, education and support, including lifelong care for those individuals with a SCI.

Hannah is married to Tim, (25+ years as SCI paraplegic) and has teenage twin children.

Mr Fahid Rasul is a highly accomplished and experienced consultant neurosurgeon and spinal surgeon. He specialises in back pain, neck pain, sciatica, spinal stenosis and minimally invasive spinal surgery. He is trained in spinal robotic surgery.

Mr Rasul’s NHS practice is based at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire where he is clinical lead for spinal surgery and education lead for neurosurgery. He is also a board member for the West Midlands Regional Spinal Network.

Mr Rasul is an expert in treating the full range of spinal disorders. He obtained his MBBS from University College London in 2008. He undertook his neurosurgical training in London working at multiple centres of excellence. He was awarded his FRCS in Neurosurgery in 2019 by the Royal College of Surgeons, England. Following this, he completed two prestigious complex spine fellowships where he obtained further experience in Spinal Surgery.  He has a number of additional qualifications including a master of philosophy (MPhil) in Clinical Neurosciences from the University of Cambridge (2016) and an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from University College London (2012).
Mr Rasul was the top-ranked candidate when he obtained his MPhil from the University of Cambridge, earning him funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC). He was also one of only two UK-based neurosurgeons to be awarded the highly acclaimed bass travelling fellowship in 2020.
Mr Rasul has an international reputation in spinal surgery and has been invited to teach spinal surgery in numerous countries. He has presented his clinical research at multiple national and international conferences. He has also published numerous articles in internationally acclaimed journals.

Angie is a highly experienced and dedicated clinical expert with over 35 years as a Registered General Nurse, specialising in a diverse range of areas including Learning Disabilities, Surgery, Intensive Care, and Spinal Cord Injury. She holds a qualification in Nursing People with a Spinal Cord Injury, completed at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1991, and has spent more than two decades providing live-in care for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Throughout her career, Angie has held leadership positions, including Care Manager, Registered Manager, and Governance roles, both in the UK and internationally, with recent experience in New Zealand. Her commitment to excellence was recognised in 2017 when she received the SIA Rebuilding Lives Leadership Award for her exceptional training and leadership of nursing and care teams across the UK.

Angie has contributed to numerous high-impact projects, including working with the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) on Continuing Health Care Funding and serving as a member of the Multidisciplinary Association of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals for 10 years. She is also currently a member of the Board of Directors for Case Managers UK (CMSUK) and has served on executive boards for organisations such as Private Hospitals, Independent Care Homes, and Specialist Care Providers.

In addition to her leadership, Angie has successfully guided care providers in developing and implementing robust quality programs, ensuring compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards and driving improvements from “Requires Improvement” to “Good” ratings. Angie was instrumental in the creation of the Neurogenic Bowel Guidelines, which have been adopted nationally, demonstrating her continued commitment to advancing care standards for people with spinal cord injuries.

Angie currently works as the Clinical Governance Lead for Eximius Live In Care who are rated Outstanding with CQC.

A passionate advocate for spinal injury care, Angie has supported spinal charities for over 30 years and remains committed to helping individuals with spinal cord injuries lead fulfilling and independent lives.

Emma is an experienced physiotherapist who has dedicated her career to working with people with spinal cord injury.  She has held senior posts on the Acute Trauma and Spinal Injuries team at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville, and the Acute Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Cape Town.  Wary of a lack of continuing therapy input for patients outside of the specialist centres, she was inspired to set up Spinal Cord Injury Services Limited.  Operating since 2011, this is a small company providing community-based specialist rehabilitation to patients throughout South Wales, as well as Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset, and North Wiltshire.

Emma advocates for improved rehabilitation opportunities and has a desire to drive policy change to address the disparities in access to treatment and support.  She brings a wealth of clinical knowledge to the group, as well as insight into the lived experiences of those with spinal cord injury living in both Wales and England.  She is currently conducting research into the clinical effectiveness of specialist rehabilitation for patients with metastatic spinal cord compression and is due to complete the MSc Public Health at the University of Bristol Medical School in 2026.