The Trust is celebrating Sarah Joyce, Specialist Occupational Therapist, who has achieved the prestigious qualification of Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), a title held by only five people in the UK. Sarah has also become an Accredited Hand Therapist (AHT) with the British Association of Hand Therapists, a qualification held by only 60 therapists nationwide.
Becoming a CHT has taken Sarah over two years of intensive study and preparation, resulting in a profound depth of knowledge that she now shares with her colleagues.
Sarah said: “I studied Occupational Therapy at Oxford Brookes but was fortunate enough to have my second-year university placement in a hand therapy department and that got me hooked. I knew from that point that my overall goal was to specialise in Hand Therapy.”
Sarah first worked at the Trust as part of her rotation when she was qualifying as an Occupational Therapist. She then went on to work at Northwick Park Hospital to specialise in Hand Therapy before coming back to the Trust. Sarah explained: “You can be an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist to work in Hand Therapy and many therapists will go their entire career without obtaining these certifications, they aren’t essential. However, it was important for me to get them, I always like to push myself, learn as much as I can, and do my best to advocate for my patients. I have also always felt very inspired by my ex-colleague Kemper Martin, who was a CHT from the States. I found her to be so inspiring regarding her level of knowledge. Knowledge is power and helps me to do the best job possible.”
Sarah’s pursuit of excellence has not only enhanced her professional skills but continues to significantly benefit her patients and colleagues at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals.
Kate Colban, AHP Workforce Planning Lead said:
‘Congratulations on this outstanding achievement Sarah and thank you for your hard work and dedication - ASPH is privileged to work with you. You are an inspiration to the team, always going above and beyond, and the communities we serve are fortunate to have such local talent.
Wishing you continued success and all the best for the future!’
