Mrs Lucy Aldrich
Lucy qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist in 1997. Her clinical interest and expertise in Rheumatology and holistic rehabilitation led to appointment as Clinical Lead Physiotherapist at Hull University Teaching Hospitals in Rheumatology in 2004. A particular passion of hers was empowering others; imparting skills and knowledge to colleagues and the future workforce, through compassionate leadership and inclusivity. Her proactive approach and excellent listening skills saw the creation of the Hull EASI (Evaluator-Appraiser-Student-Integrated) teaching model, in response to the difficulties clinicians were reporting accommodating increasing student placement numbers. This model empowered staff to significantly increase the numbers of placements offered to physiotherapy students undertaking clinical placements, whilst decreasing the stressors often experienced undertaking a full clinical caseload, in addition to the supervision of students.
Her passion for high quality, innovative, sustainable education delivery and commitment to the components set out within the NHS People Plan precipitated Lucy’s decision to apply for a secondment to the Humber and North Yorkshire Allied Health Professional (AHP) Clinical Placement Expansion Programme. She was successful in her application and commenced this full time post in late 2020. This role involved working collaboratively across multiple organisations to achieve practice placement expansion during a very unstable period. This equipped Lucy with invaluable experience and knowledge of system working and gave her an insight into the potential for positively influencing healthcare beyond clinical practice.
Reason for applying for the scheme
Following completion of the Edward Jenner Programme and Leading for Systems Change, both provided by the NHS Leadership Academy, Lucy experienced first-hand how leadership could reduce health inequalities for patients and the workforce across a region. She also became aware of how the infrastructure for AHP development was not as established as other workforce sectors, gaining invaluable insight into the impact on everyday practice for AHPs. Lucy saw the FMLM programme as an exciting opportunity to consolidate both her leadership and system working skills in a supported learning environment, proactively address health inequalities, whilst still maintaining the familiarity of her current practise, adhering to her values of compassion, equality, diversity and inclusivity.
