WORK HISTORY:

1981

Voluntary nursing assistant in a registered nursing home

1981-1986

Training at the London Hospital Medical College (now known as the Royal London)

1983-4

In 1983-84, as a medical student, I participated in gastrointestinal research. (With the Wellcome Foundation) My electives were in Obstetrics, Radiology and Accident and Emergency (1895-86)

1986 onwards

Qualified MB BS: GMC Registration number 3165869

Pre-registration houseman posts: first in general surgery: 6 months at Chelmsford Hospital (Essex): then 6 months in Ipswich (Suffolk): 3 months general medicine, followed by 3 months endocrinology and haematology.

(SHO = Senior House Officer)

Locum SHO post in Neurology at Addenbrooks Hospital Cambridge - August 1987

SHO Accident and Emergency, Chelmsford (5 months)

SHO Psychogeriatrics, Goodmayes Hospital, London (4 months)

SHO Acute Psychiatry, St Lawrence Hospital, Bodmin (9 months)

RECENT POSTS:

DECEMBER 2003: clinical assistant at Eric Angel Pain Management Unit, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

DECEMBER 2004: Trust doctor at same unit; initially 16 hours a week, 30 hours a week from November 2005

Clinical work involved outpatient clinics, 3 times a week (one new patient, 2 follow-up), assessing inpatient referrals.

Teaching: sessions on the Outpatient Pain Management Programme. SHO teaching for MRCP course (assessing and managing chronic pain), medical students at Peninsular Medical School (acute pain, chronic pain, cancer pain), NURB nursing course (assessing pain), GPs (neuropathic pain). 

CURRENT POST:

Associate Specialist in Pain Management, Bath Pain Management Unit.  Locum post  from September 2006.

Work involves medical assessment of patients with chronic pain for the programme, and involvement with the interdisciplinary team running adult programmes (group and individual sessions). Teaching SHOs on pain management.

CME: Pain Society meeting 2005 and 2006; Masterclass in Neuropathic Pain 2005 and 2006, Wessex Pain Society Meeting 2004,2005, 2006. British Society of Rheumatology Meeting April 2007, Royal College of Psychiatrists Biannual Meeting May 2007, Child Protection Course August 2007.

MSc in Pain Management, Cardiff University (3rd. year). I am currently writing my dissertation.

RESEARCH:  ICH-GCP course September 2005 update booked October 2007
Currently involved (as Principal Investigator) in study with Arthritis Care on the effectiveness of a brief lay-led education programme.

I am also about to embark on a Cochrane Review on Treatment of Adhesive Arachnoiditis.

MEDICOLEGAL WORK:

I have been involved with a number of cases and am currently an expert witness in an ongoing case involving arachnoiditis.

VOLUNTARY SECTOR WORK:

Patron of various support groups (UK, USA, New Zealand) for patients with adhesive arachnoiditis since 1998. I have written numerous articles for these groups on aspects of chronic pain in general, neuropathic pain and arachnoiditis in particular.

PERSONAL INTERESTS:

Swimming, gardening, photography, films, especially soundtracks.