Pioneering Physiotherapist
Rachael is a Consultant Respiratory Physiotherapist, National Clinical Advisor (Respiratory) and Head Clinical Leadership Development at NHS England.
Rachael is a clinician who is passionate about the empowerment of patients, professionals and peers and raising awareness regarding equity, diversity and inclusion, making sure their voice is heard and showcasing the huge value of multi-professional working. She has experience working in the military, education, charity and third sector and has spent 22 years working in the NHS.
Rachael was proud to be the first non-medic British Thoracic Society President (2021-2022) and fortunate to sit on several national organisations as well as being an previous Associate Editor for BMJ Leader and Social Media Editor at Thorax BMJ. Some of her biggest professional achievements are being awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021 and an Honorary Clinical Doctorate in 2022 from the University of Hertfordshire. In her spare time Rachael is a humanitarian aid worker and is grateful to have the opportunity to support critical work overseas and currently works in a voluntary role for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
“I just started off doing little things, helping on guideline groups, and becoming part of policy teams, listening to how people had developed their career and then, when you get involved in something or you get asked to do something and you do a good job, people tend to come back and ask you to do it again. You don’t always get things right but it’s about having that learning narrative.”
Watch the video, listen to the podcast, or link to the transcript in BMJ Leader
Profile in Physio Update
Video profile on British Thoracic Society
Rachael with her team.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapists News – Consultant Physio if ITV Breakfast Show Health Star
Rachael during her humanitarian work in Gaza
Read the full conversation on BMJLeader. Here are some key quotations from the interview:
“… rather than letting your professional identity define you, it’s about changing your narrative and thinking- what can I bring into that space? …Think about the things that interest you, think about where your skills and expertise lie, think about what value you have in that area, and then look for the opportunities that might present themselves. …Try all of these little avenues where people can develop leadership roles because, a lot of the time people think that being a manager is getting leadership skills but, actually, there are so many different facets we can enter now and be part of that collaborative, rather than doing things in our own silo.”
“I have experienced the very best of NHS leadership and the very worst. The very best of NHS leadership is that feeling of belonging, feeling of being included, valued, appreciated for what you do, and being very clear about your role and responsibility within a team. The very worst of leadership are those toxic traits and narratives that I’m sure we all know about.”
“For me the hardest part about being an inclusive leader has been challenging the biases that I had within myself, acknowledging the bias that I had in my life and constantly trying to understand and recognize those as I progress through my career and in my leadership career.”
“ so while it might be a little uncomfortable for me, for people who are facing this discrimination, it can be very very damaging.
“ And it was my prejudices when I was interviewing that what I had expected that person to have done in their career was the same as mine, and I judged them for not having that same career path as me.”
“I’m away working Monday to Friday and then I’m home at the weekend…Just the kind of comments, the microagressions, macroaggressions, the rumours, the assumptions people would make about why you’d want to do that for your career, were quite startling actually. I didn’t expect it to be so commonly mentioned. There was definitely a gender stereotype and I’ve got friends that do the same and they’re obviously male and they don’t have.”
“I don’t agree with war. I think war is a terrible thing but there is something about helping people in the most distressful time in their lives, being part of that medical team who can provide emergency or life sustaining support in conflict zones in war torn countries…And the people in these countries, the innocent civilians, are often the most humble, caring, compassionate people you will ever meet.”
