Fran Quinn-Thomas

Biography

I qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2014 having completed my degree at Keele University. Following this, I wished to stay in the local area, and completed my junior rotations in what was then Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust. During this time, I gained a passion for Neurology and have worked within this specialism since 2015 in the private sector. Across my different employments, I have gained a special interest in complex care (including tracheostomy care/weaning), long-term condition management and disorders of consciousness.

Since 2019, I have been working in higher education as a Lecturer, predominantly on Physiotherapy courses. For the academic year of 2020/21, I was joint Course Leader for the MSc pre-registration Physiotherapy programme at Birmingham City University, before returning to Keele in August 2021.

In 2021, I graduated with a Masters in Neurological Rehabilitation from Keele University. My dissertation explored the emerging role of sleep assessments in assisting with diagnosis for individuals with prolonged disorders of consciousness.

I am registered with both the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). I am also a member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists Interested in Neurology (ACPIN)

Research and scholarship

Research interests

• Use of upper limb tasks boards in stroke recovery  
• Holistic management of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness including:
  • communication with family
  • sensory stimulation
  • tracheostomy weaning 
• Placement related learning and simulation

Teaching

Fran is involved in teaching across our pre-registration and post-registration courses, mostly related to neurological rehabilitation. Fran also enjoys preparing students for their placements, including simulation and gamification.