Kay Stevenson

Biography

I qualified from the Queen Elizabeth School of Physiotherapy, Birmingham in 1988. I have worked in both secondary and primary care physiotherapy services and have undertaken many post graduate courses in the management of musculoskeletal disease. In 1999 I was appointed as a Lecture Practitioner at the School of Health and Rehabilitation here at Keele University. This allowed me to develop my teaching skills, undertake a national teaching qualification and complete an M.Phil.

I have been in my current role as a Consultant Physiotherapist since 2002. This post includes expert clinical practice, research, education, service redesign and clinical leadership. I am very fortunate to hold sessions within the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent NHS Partnership Trust, The School of Health and Rehabilitation and the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre. I also hold an Honorary Lectureship within The School of Health and Rehabilitation.

My clinical role involves delivering clinical sessions and providing clinical leadership within the Musculoskeletal Interface Service. This innovative service manages over 10,000 patients per year with non surgical musculoskeletal disease. It has been highlighted by the Department of Heath as an exemplar of Best Practice

I enjoy keeping fit by playing squash and golf. I am current training for my first triathlon. I also enjoy travelling, socialising, scuba diving, dancing and walking my lovely dog ‘Bollie’.

Research and scholarship

My MPhil focused on the concept of evidence based practice and how to best change clinicians behaviour in light of best evidence. This interest led to the development and leadership of a multidisciplinary group whose main aim is to search for the best available evidence to inform practice. The group has developed 33 clinical recommendations, and has published their work nationally and have presented at international conferences.

The web address is http://www.keele.ac.uk/ebp/mrfgroup/aimsofthegroup/

The group has also been involved in the joint development of three randomised trails which followed as a result of the process.

I am part of a team that is researching the types of patients that are seen in our Musculoskeletal Interface Service. We are interested in clinical outcomes, describing the factors that affect risk of developing chronicity and exploring the effect of our treatment interventions.

Teaching

I have jointly developed and continue to deliver a masters level module on Soft Tissue and Intra-articular Joint Injections. This module, is organised by the School of Health and Rehabilitation, Keele University, has successfully trained over 200 physiotherapists and nurses to deliver this mode of treatment in clinical practice

I have also developed a master’s module to support practitioners who wish to develop additional musculoskeletal assessment skills in the clinical environment (Musculoskeletal Management at the Interface). The module is aimed at general practitioners and physiotherapists.

I deliver sessions on master’s modules on physical examination to rheumatology nurse specialists and assist in the deliver of evidence based practice modules within the Centre.

I co-ordinate training for clinicians who work within our Musculoskeletal Interface service to ensure the delivery of the  highest standards of clinical care and regularly deliver training sessions to local physiotherapists on aspects of clinical management.

I co-ordinate and lecture on an annual Best Practice day for Allied Health Professionals. This aims to share innovation in the areas of clinical practice, research and service redesign.

Further information

• Editorial Board member of Musculoskeletal Matters and Midland Medicine Journals

• I co-ordinate our local ARMA group (Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance)

• Vice Chair of the Haywood Foundation Charity