Meet the team: children's cystic fibrosis
Consultants
Dr Gary Connett
Dr Connett has an active research programme and is a member of Southampton's Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, developing novel therapies to treat cystic fibrosis lung infections.
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Dr Hazel Evans
Dr Evans leads the children's home mechanical ventilation and diagnostic sleep services. She is interested in improving patient care through the education of other health professionals and service development.
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Dr Julian Legg
Dr Legg is head of the paediatric respiratory department at Southampton Children’s Hospital. He is an active researcher with a special interest in the microbiology of the lung in cystic fibrosis and early determinants of the disease.
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Professor Graham Roberts
Professor Roberts cares for children with respiratory and allergy problems. His research focuses on understanding why children develop allergies and asthma, looking at how their lives can be improved.
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Dr Woolf Walker
Dr Walker was appointed as a paediatric respiratory consultant in April 2013 having trained in Southampton, Portsmouth and Perth in Western Australia. As well as working with the cystic fibrosis team he leads the National Children's Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Management Service in Southampton. Dr Walker has published papers in paediatric respiratory disease, in particular in primary ciliary dyskinesia and cystic fibrosis, and continues to have an active research programme.
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Dietitians
Teresa Curbishley
Teresa joined the children’s cystic fibrosis team in 2007 as a specialist paediatric dietitian. Since joining the team, Teresa has presented at national and international conferences and is an active member of the British Dietetic Association and Cystic Fibrosis Dietitians Interest Group.
Sian Phillips
Sian joined the children’s cystic fibrosis team in 2013 having previously worked as an adult dietitian in London and Birmingham. In addition to her work with the cystic fibrosis team, Sian also sees respiratory and long-term ventilation patients.
Psychologist
Maria Day
Maria works for the cystic fibrosis team and the paediatric intensive care unit. As a clinical psychologist, Maria supports families living with cystic fibrosis. Maria can offer time to talk away from the clinic to help with difficulties, such as mealtime stresses, anxiety about medical procedures or problems managing treatments. She also runs groups for parents of children with cystic fibrosis and often meets families at annual reviews to talk about how they are coping.
Cath Norman
Cath Norman joined the team in 2014 and works across the paediatric cystic fibrosis, rheumatology and ophthalmology teams. She works alongside Maria Day to offer emotional support to children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis and their families. This work includes facilitating parent groups, meeting with families during clinic appointments and offering individual sessions for children, adolescents and their families separate from clinic appointments.
Specialist physiotherapists
We have four specialist physiotherapists. Caroline Yonge and Sarah Payne have led the service since 2004, working in Southampton as well as in cystic fibrosis clinics in other hospitals in the region. A recent expansion has seen Tom Meredith and Victoria Keenan join the team.
Physiotherapy is an integral part of the management of cystic fibrosis and includes many aspects such as airway clearance, inhaled medication, exercise, musculoskeletal assessment and posture. We assess and treat each patient individually and develop an ongoing relationship with the child and family so we can adapt and progress treatment as the child matures.
We attend the UK cystic fibrosis physiotherapy interest group meetings, and attend international conferences to keep up to date with the best evidence based practise as well as the latest research and developments. In addition to our clinical role, we are involved in audits and research within the hospital, and international research trials.
Specialist nurses
We have four part time nurse specialists. Judi Maddison has been with us since 1993, with Tricia McGinnity and Catherine Crocker joining in 2010. Amanda Friend joined the team in November 2013.
Our main role is to be an advocate for patients and their families, providing care and support in hospital and in the community. We have a wide range of experience in cystic fibrosis care, and support families from newly diagnosed patients through to young people transferring to the adult service. We are members of the national and international cystic fibrosis nurses' community and strive to ensure that our patients receive the most up to date, appropriate and individualised care.
Social worker
Katie Smith
Katie joined the team in May 2015. She qualified as a social worker in 2009 and since then has worked with adults and children in front line services. Katie has also volunteered for Simon Says, a charity supporting bereaved children in Hampshire, since 2012.
As a paediatric cystic fibrosis social worker, Katie supports children and their families as inpatients, outpatients and at home. The social work service can provide advice and support on areas including practical and emotional support, benefits and housing advice, support to maintain or access employment, access to education, accessing grants, carers' support, and child protection. Katie also works closely with her social work colleagues in the adult cystic fibrosis team to ensure patients' transitions run smoothly.
You can contact Katie at katieL.smith@uhs.nhs.uk about any issues of a non-medical, non-nursing nature.