Sarah Gardner
Independent Clinical Consultant, Wound Matters
Qualifications: RN, DN Cert, BA, MSc
sarah.gardner@woundmatters.co.uk
“No longer will lower limb conditions be invisible. Legs Matter will shine a spot light on suboptimal care and empower everyone to expect the best.”
Sarah led a community tissue viability team in Oxfordshire before leaving the NHS in 2020. She now runs her own Tissue Viability consultancy business, working with a range of organisations to help improve the lives of people with chronic wounds such as leg ulcers. She does this through education, clinical guidance and expert advice. Sarah is a Trustee for the Tissue Viability Society and is currently Chair of the Legs Matter group.
Alison Hopkins MBE
Chief Executive – Accelerate CIC
Qualifications: RN, DN, MSc
alison.hopkins2@nhs.net
“Our campaign aims to stop the daily harm of poor leg ulcer management for patients and the health economy. A very exciting goal!”
Alison started her lifelong interest in leg ulcers when working as a District Nurse in 1980’s. Alison developed as a specialist nurse, led the multidisciplinary East London Wound Healing Centre and founded Accelerate Community Interest Company. Her passion for increasing tolerance to compression bandaging has not wavered; she has pioneered an innovative compression strapping technique for hard to heal leg ulcers. She loves data and demonstrating how a system change can create significant savings to the health economy. Alison was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2018, for her lifelong commitment to improving the lives of people with significant lower limb wounds. She is currently Co-Vice Chair of Legs Matter.
Joanne Casey
Professional Development Lead, Royal College of Podiatry and Specialist Independent Podiatrist, Alfred Casey Medical
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) MRCPod
joanne.casey@rcpod.org.uk
“I am curious about how disease manifests within foot health. My specific area of interest is within the renal foot in those patients living with diabetes.”
Joanne is a Specialist Independent Podiatrist having previously worked at Kings College Hospital for 10 years. She also works at The Royal College of Podiatry. During the first waive of the Covid-19 pandemic, she worked as a TVN delivering frontline patient care. She has been a Podiatrist for 20 years. She is currently Co-Vice Chair of Legs Matter.
Leanne Atkin
Vascular Nurse Consultant
Qualifications: RGN, MHSc, PhD
leanne.atkin1@nhs.net
Find Leanne Atkin on:
Twitter | Research Gate
“Lower leg and feet disorders are often overlooked by patients, carers and clinicians leading to thousands of people needlessly suffering simply. We'll help put a stop to this.”
Dr Leanne Atkin is a Vascular Nurse Consultant within Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust and Research Fellow at University of Huddersfield, additionally is a Council member of Society Vascular Nurses (SVN). Leanne was chair of the Legs Matter campaign for over 3 years from Sept 2018 until November 2021, and also was joint chair for the National Wound Care Strategy Programme (Lower limb stream) for a number of years.
Leanne has a clear passion for a wide range of lower limb disease and has transformed local community leg ulcer services, this transformation has been recognised within national awards.
Paul Chadwick
National Clinical Director – Royal College of Podiatry
Qualifications: MSc, PhD
pjc@scpod.org
“Legs Matter is unique. Unlike other campaigns it recognises the whole of the lower limb including the foot.”
Dr Paul Chadwick became interested in foot wounds from the moment he qualified, when on day one he was faced with a complex ischaemic foot. He has since strived to develop a whole system approach to the management of foot wounds so that ease of access to good foot services becomes the norm. To date this has achieved this locally and regionally in the North West, with the ambition to take this forward and make a difference on a national level. Paul is a Committee Member of Foot in Diabetes UK.
Margaret Sneddon
Interim Vice Chair – British Lymphology Society
Qualifications: RN, RCNT, MSc (Research) PGCHE
m.sneddon@thebls.com
“Through Legs Matter we have the potential to reduce prevalence and severity of many lower limb problems that impact negatively on quality of life.”
Margaret Sneddon is committed to enhancing lymphoedema education and practice in her roles as Chair of the British Lymphology Society (BLS) and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in University of Glasgow.
Gail Powell
Nurse Specialist, Wound Care Service
Qualifications: Queens Nurse, Bsc (Hons) RGN, DN
g.powell@nhs.net
“It has never been so important to help clinicians and patients with lower limb issues to help improve their Quality of Life and cut down on complications in later life. Information and education is a key factor to improvements.”
Gail works in the Wound Care Service Sirona Care and Health and is Team lead for Bristol. She developed a passion for lower limb wounds while undertaking District nurse diploma at UWE Bristol, while visiting Cardiff healing Centre/ Clinics in 1992. She is an Executive Committee Member of the Leg ulcer Forum and works with colleagues to deliver education and training in lower limb issues and ABPI. Gail set up a leg ulcer clinic and wound clinics in Bristol.
Ellie Lindsay OBE
Life President - Lindsay Leg Club Foundation
Qualifications: OBE, BSc (Hons) RN, DN, CPT, Dip HE, FQNI
ellie.lindsay@legclubfoundation.com
“I'm proud to be part of the coalition representing Legs Matter. Together we will help shape and influence public knowledge and clinical practice.”
Ellie’s goal has been to put leg ulcers and associated conditions onto the healthcare agenda by seeking support from influencing decision makers (e.g. NICE, Parliamentary groups, Healthcare Commissioners and industry). She has been working in partnership with members of the public, Expert Patient groups, Department of Health policy developers, NHS managers and Healthcare professionals with an aim to raise awareness of preventative management of all aspects of lower limb related problems. Promoting good practice by forging relationships with nursing and professional organisations / societies, patient and industry groups, she regularly attends the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) and Medical Technology Group meetings (MTG), representing the Leg Club Members (patient) group.
