Publish date: 11 October 2024
Celebrating our AHP workforce - Kristin shares his story
On planning to become a doctor with a place in medical school all secured, I went and busted my ankle playing football. The following physio rehab I had changed my whole perspective and my career choice. My physio was dynamic, enthusiastic, caring and importantly to me, empathetic about the importance of my sport to me and made it her absolute priority to support me back to playing the activities I loved. 
After taking a year out to do more study, I was starting physio school at Coventry University with the opportunity to work in some fantastic places as part of my clinical placements around the Midlands region. On graduating, I returned back to the North East to start my career in what was then Preston Hospital, an old hospital of the now Northumbria Healthcare family. I have never left the trust. Initially filling in to a temporary promotion to cover maternity leave, I eventually specialised in Musculoskeletal rehab and remained there for 30 years, presenting to national conferences, getting recognition for innovative practice and continuing to teach at undergraduate and post-graduate level to both AHP’s and medics.
In need of a new challenge, I moved to into our Central Improvement Team as an Improvement specialist in 2023 full time, harnessing the clinical experience I have into supporting teams optimise the care they deliver to patients and helping the NHS be more effective and efficient in the process. I plan to be a clinician again one day in a part time capacity so that I can bring my improvement knowledge directly into the profession and still maintain my clinical identity which is important to me. In today's NHS, would I do it all again? ABSOLUTELY, just like the Royals, a physio’s blood always runs blue!