Dr Jacquelyne Todd is Physiotherapist Consultant in Lymphoedema at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She has been involved in developing lymphoedema services in West Yorkshire over the last 20 years, initially working at Ardenlea Marie Curie Centre, Ilkley as senior physiotherapist and then as lecturer practitioner. She attended a training course in Australia under the mentorship of Drs John and Judith Casley Smith 1997. She qualified as a teacher in the Casley Smith method of MLD in the same year.
Jacquelyne was a committee member of the British Lymphology Society between 1993 and 1999. During this time she held the post of chair of the function and exercise working party, regional representative coordinator, Vice Chair and then Chair of the Society.
She has worked in Leeds since 2000 and over that time has worked to establish a service that is now available to all patients with lymphoedema, both from primary and secondary care. In addition to professional publications, she has worked with other organisations and professionals in the field to produce literature and DVDs for people with lymphoedema and is currently working with LSN to produce two new DVDs on self treatment in lymphoedema. She led the Macmillan Lymphoedema Education Project (now the MacmillanLymphoedemaAcademy) and is clinical facilitator for the Masters Programme in Lymphoedema at the University of Bradford
In addition to the delivery of lymphoedema education programmes, Jacquelyne is involved in a number of research projects, including a study of Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) levels in lymphoedema patients sponsored by the British Lymphology Society. She is also involved in the supervision of students completing their dissertation as part of their Master’s study. She completed her doctoral studies in December 2007 involving comparing the incidence of lymphoedema following two programmes of shoulder mobilising exercises after breast cancer surgery involving axillary node dissection.
Catherine originated from a complementary therapy background where she worked for 5 years as a complementary therapist on the oncology ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary and also at the Bradford Cancer Support Centre. Alongside this she ran a complementary therapy department at the DuchyNuffieldHospital in Harrogate.In 1995 she began her lymphoedema training with the VodderSchool and qualified in Austria in 1996.
Her lymphoedema career began in 1995 as an MLD therapist at Ardenlea Marie Curie Centre, Ilkley under the guidance of Dr Jacqueline Todd. Continuing education resulted in achieving the ENB 34 Keyworker (level III), and gaining a distinction in the Advanced Practice of Lymphoedema Management (M Level). She is also qualified in the Leduc method of MLD and has attended two Foldi reviews in Hinterzartern.Since then she has worked within the NHS service and private practice. She worked for 7 years for the privately run residential clinic, An Arm and a Leg, under the Medical Directorship of Professor Peter Mortimer. Here she gained invaluable experience working with a wide range of complex cases.
Catherine began teaching The Casley -Smith Method of Manual Lymphatic Drainage with Jacqui Todd in 1999 and completed her training with Dr Judith Casley -Smith in Adelaide in 2001.From 2008- 2010 she lead and developed the lymphoedema service at Barnsley Hospice. Catherine is currently working for the Leeds Lymphoedma Service.
Jacqueline Banks BSc(Hons), PGDip in Lymphology I qualified as a nurse in Spetember 1987 after training at St James University Hospital in Leeds. I became interested in the field of lymphoedema when I worked on the breast unit at the hospital and completed the ENB A11 Breast Care Course and the ENB N34 Management of Lymphoedema course in 1997. I started working solely in Lymphoedema when I joined the lymphoedema service at Ardenlea Marie Cirie Centre in Ilkley in 1999 and completed the Advanced Management Module with Bradford University. In March 2001 I joined the team in Leeds and now work across the city at St James' Hospital and Wharfedale Hospital in Otley. I have served as a committee member for the British Lymphology Society and have taught on the Masters modules in Lymphoedema at Bradford University as well as update courses for manual lymphatic drainage held locally.
Rhian Davies PGDip, MSCP. GradDipPhys.
Rhian is currently the facilitator of the MLA community of practice and vice-president of Casley-Smith International. Rhian has a full time post as University Teacher at the University of Glasgow further developing the provision of Lymphoedema education. Rhian is currently undertaking a higher degree involving educational research and has presented her work both nationally and internationally and has published in peer reviewed journals. As a Chartered Physiotherapist Rhian moved in to palliative care in 1991 where she set up a lymphoedema service ‘pump-primed’ by Macmillan Cancer Support. She then moved to Conwy & Denbighshire, North Wales to set up two lymphoedema clinics (cancer & non-cancer related, adult services).
Initially completing the ENB N34 Lymphoedema Management through the University of Huddersfield, then Casley Smith MLD training in Wrexham. She then went on to gain a City & Guilds Training & Development Qualification and Post Graduate Diploma Advanced Professional Practice (Physiotherapy) before completing the Macmillan Lymphoedema Education Programme to become a Casley-Smith technique MLD Teacher in 2005. Between 2003 and 2008 she was Honorary Treasurer of the British Lymphology Society (BLS) and from 2005 – 2008 represented the BLS at the Vascular Society Council and the Tissue Viability Society Council. Rhian remains a member of the BLS, Lymphoedema Support Network and supports the website for the Scottish Lymphoedema Practitioners Network and the MLA.
Sue Desborough,DipCOT, BAOT , PGCert.Med.Ed
Sue is an Occupational Therapist with previous experience in orthopaedics, rheumatology, spinal injuries, neurology and primary care.She has worked in lymphoedema since 1999 when she set up a lymphoedema clinic in Shropshire. This was an NHS service ‘pump-primed’ by Macmillan Cancer Support. In 2007 Sue moved to join the lymphoedema team at St.Giles Hospice, Lichfield and teaches Casley Smith MLD at St Giles Hospice Sutton Coldfield site. Her lymphoedema training includes:
ENB 34 Management of Chronic Oedema at Marie Curie Hospice, Liverpool (Level III accredited).
Certificate in Oncology for Allied Health Professionals at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology. (Level III accredited)
Three month clinical placement with Eilish Lund, Macmillan Lymphoedema Nurse Specialist, Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham.
Casley-Smith Manual Lymphatic Drainage
In 2005 Sue completed the two year Macmillan Lymphoedema Education Programme, qualifying to teach Manual Lymphatic Drainage to Health Care Professionals and has taught the technique regularly since. Sue runs Casley Smith MLD courses at St Giles Hospice are accredited with Staffordshire University. In addition to her clinical role, Sue is currently a trainer for 3M Healthcare Ltd, delivering workshops on the application of Coban 2 lymphoedema bandaging.
Anita Hopkins MSc. RGN. DN. Dip Palliative Care.
Anita is currently Lead specialist for Gloucestershire Hospitals Lymphoedema Service and Senior Lecturer at BirminghamCityUniversity. She has been involved in lymphoedema since 1992 initially as part of her role as a Macmillan Nurse and since 2000 as part of her present post. She is currently a committee member for BLS with education as her key role. Anita is also chair of the 3 Counties Tissue Viability Interest Group.
Anita qualified as a Teacher as part of the MacmillanLymphoedemaAcademy in 2005 and is in the process of setting up accredited courses at BirminghamCityUniversity. She has worked with Macmillan Cancer Support to establish a network of lymphoedema trained practitioners in Gloucestershire and has written a number of publications on various aspects of lymphoedema for a number of national journals.
Melanie Lewis MCSP BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Melanie is a chartered physiotherapist and is the Lead Macmillan Lymphoedema Clinical specialist based at SingletonHospital, Swansea. She has been instrumental in developing equitable lymphoedema services in South Wales and is one of the main authors in the 2009 Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘Strategy for Lymphoedema in Wales -Designed for Lymphoedema’.
Melanie began an interest in lymphoedema in 1997 whilst working as a palliative care physiotherapist and set up the first lymphoedema service in South West Wales in 2001. She attended the Casley Smith MLD management course later that year in Wrexham under the guidance of Cathryn Groom, Jacqueline Todd and Eilish Lund. She was also a committee member of the British Lymphology Society from 2001 to 2004.
In 2004 she secured funding and set up the first Breast Cancer Rehabilitation and Prevention of lymphoedema scheme in the UK. This has seen the incidence of breast cancer related lymphoedema reduce form 1 in 4 to 1 in 12.In 2008, we have also set up a Gynaecology Cancer Rehabilitation and Prevention of Lymphoedema and Incontinence Scheme.
Melanie qualified as a lymphoedema teacher in 2005 after undergoing the Macmillan Lymphoedema Education Programme. Since then she has delivered annual MLD and Update courses in Swansea. Melanie has presented nationally in numerous conferences and has published widely in numerous national journals and book chapters.
Margaret Sneddon MSc, RGN, RCNT, PGCHE
Margaret is Head of Nursing and Health Care at University of Glasgow. She developed the first multi - professional MSc in Palliative Care in Scotland and began offering courses on lymphoedema management in 1994. She is currently Head of School, but remains the Director for Lymphoedema Education, offering a comprehensive range of accredited and unaccredited courses. She also leads on lymphoedema research. She is co-chair of the Education Committee of the International Lymphoedema Framework and retains a clinical commitment in the Forth Valley Lymphoedema Service, Scotland.
Lynne Whiteside MCSP BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Lynne is currently the Lymphoedema Clinical Lead for the Southern Trust in Northern Ireland. She first became interested in lymphoedema as part of her Senior Physiotherapist in Oncology role in 2000 completing a keyworker course quickly followed by Casley Smith Manual Lymphatic Drainage training. The lymphoedema service grew very quickly as it accepted all types of lymphoedema. This allowed her to gain experience in treating a wide range of primary and secondary lymphoedemas.
Having completed the Macmillan Lymphoedema Education Project in 2005 she became a Teacher of the Casley Smith Method. Lynne has been providing education in both Northern and Southern Ireland.
The redesign of lymphoedema services has included the development of a clinical network, Lymphoedema Network Northern Ireland (LNNI) to ensure there is no longer a post code lottery and an assurance that all patients will receive a timely, high quality treatment throughout the province.
Jeanne Everett, RGN, Specialist Nurse and Network Lead North East England Jeanne has worked in lymphoedema since 1993, initially setting up and running a hospice clinic. Completed Casley Smith MLD training in 2000, and was then trained by as a Teacher between 2003 and 2005 to become one of the UK Casley-Smith MLD Teachers, as part of the Macmillan Lymphoedema Academy. She works as the Lead Nurse for the Specialist Lymphoedema Team in the North of England Cancer Network. Masters level courses are accredited with University of Teesside.
