Claire Forsyth, Care/Occupational Therapist

Professional Experience

I gained my Masters in Occupational Therapy from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2008. Since qualifying I have worked in a range of healthcare settings. I specialise in the areas of major trauma, and amputee and prosthetic rehabilitation. I have worked with individuals who have undergone an amputation/s due to vascular, trauma, oncology and congenital aetiologies within a variety of clinical areas including acute surgical, in-patient rehabilitation and prosthetic rehabilitation.

I am currently employed as a prosthetic occupational therapist, within Leeds Rehabilitation Services. I provide assessment and rehabilitation to both adults and children with acquired and congenital limb loss in an outpatient setting. I treat both new and established amputees and have a sound understanding of the impact of ageing on an individual’s prosthetic mobility, care and therapy needs. I also undertake work for Proactive Prosthetics, Leeds clinic. I provide occupational therapy training for upper limb prosthetic devices to support clients to regain independence following limb loss.

Prior to this I was the lead occupational therapist for the Major Trauma Service. I worked with individuals who have suffered a life changing injury or multiple injuries, for example following high speed vehicle collisions, industrial accidents, high falls, explosions and severe knife and gunshot wounds. I provided occupational therapy assessment and intervention to individuals following admission to the intensive care unit or the Major Trauma Ward. Clients presented with often complex and multiple injuries and disabilities, for example amputations, complex and multiple fractures, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

I also worked at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, as the occupational therapy lead for the amputee and prosthetic rehabilitation service. I treated adults and children with upper, lower and multiple limb amputations, this included high level amputations such as transpelvic and forequarter levels. Prior to this position I was employed as the clinical lead for amputee rehabilitation at the Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh. The majority of my inpatient caseload were individuals who had undergone a lower limb amputation/s due to diabetes and vascular disease. I also carried out upper limb prosthetic rehabilitation for both adults and children in the outpatient prosthetic rehabilitation centre.

Professional Development

I taught on the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine course in Advanced Prosthetics and Amputee Rehabilitation. I also provide ad hoc teaching to other hospitals, students and at the College of Occupational Therapy study days. I am a member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists specialist section sub-group for upper and lower limb prosthetics.

I also maintain my professional development and HCPC standards by attending relevant training.