Joanne Casey
Podiatrist and Senior Research Assistant, University of Southampton
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) MRCPod
j.m.casey@soton.ac.uk
Find Joanne Casey on:
Articles
“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 and The Royal College of Podiatry. During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, she worked as a TVN delivering frontline patient care to which she was awarded The Ernest Runting Award for her dedication to the covid pandemic. She has been a Podiatrist for 22 years and has developed a portfolio career spanning clinical, research, education, management and leadership. She is currently Chair of Legs Matter and a member of the Royal College of Podiatry.
Annie Clothier
Vascular Clinical Nurse Specialist, Aneurin Bevan UHB
Qualifications: RGN, BSc, Independent Prescriber
annie.clothier@wales.nhs.uk
“Within lower limb care there is a lot of fear around vascular assessment and the use of compression, we are here to challenge the fear and end the harm from ineffective treatments”
Annie developed her interest in wound management as a student nurse; after qualifying 1999 she worked on a general surgery ward that exposed her to the speciality of vascular surgery. In 2004 she took a secondment and subsequent post in Tissue Viability which allowed her the opportunity to develop her skills and knowledge further. Annie had a burning passion to improve lower limb care and understand the complexities and impact of arterial disease and in 2017 was appointed as a Vascular Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Annie represents the Society of Vascular Nurses on the Legs Matter Coalition and was recently elected as Co-Vice Chair. Her desire is to push to ensure a four nations approach going forward.
Kate Williams
Associate Director of Wound Care - Accelerate CIC
Qualifications: MSc, FHEA, SPDN, BSc (Hons), RN
kate.williams121@nhs.net
“Our website provides clear, reliable information for the public and professionals, so everyone knows what is needed to prevent and treat lower limb problems”
Kate joined the team at Accelerate CIC in November 2024 after her academic role as a Senior Lecturer in Tissue Viability at the University of Huddersfield and an Honorary Tissue Viability Nurse for Leeds Community Healthcare Trust.
She trained as a District Nurse and moved into community Tissue Viability in 2003, working in London, Mid Wales and settled in Leeds in 2011.
Kate is passionate about patient centred care and the values of the clinician patient relationship. She has a particular interest in antimicrobial stewardship in wound care. She is Co-Vice Chair and Treasurer of Legs Matter and a Trustee of the Society of Tissue Viability.
Una Adderley
Co-opted Member
Qualifications: RN, DN, QN, PhD, MSc, BSc(Hons) BA(Hons)
“We know that most leg and foot ulcers can heal within weeks, if they are quickly assessed and get the correct treatment. We need to make this happen for everyone with a leg or foot ulcer.”
Dr Una Adderley became interested in lower limb care when she began nursing in the community in the 1990’s Her nursing career progressed from district nursing, through specialist tissue viability nursing into research and education before being appointed as the Director of NHS England’s National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) in 2018.
Following retirement in 2024, Una has become a Co-opted Member to continue the work she began as the first Chair of Legs Matter. Una is a Queen’s Nurse and Fellow of the Society of Tissue Viability.
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.
Rebecca Elwell
Macmillan Lymphoedema ANP
Qualifications: RGN, MSc
rebecca.elwell7@nhs.net
“I am proud to be part of the Legs Matter Campaign. Together we are raising awareness of disorders of the legs and feet which are not seen as sexy and often end up ignored by the public and health care practitioners. Often simple strategies can be employed to alleviate suffering and prevent complications”
Rebecca is a Lymphoedema Advanced Nurse Practitioner within University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust and a trustee of British Lymphology Society (BLS). Rebecca organises the annual conference for BLS each year and has a special interest in paediatric lymphoedema being a founder member of the BLS Children with Lymphoedema Special Interest Group.
Rebecca has a special interest in in managing lower limb lymphoedema and the associated skin, tissue changes and predisposition for infection. She developed the BLS Red Legs Pathway which is endorsed by Legs Matter with the aim to improve recognition of the cause of inflammation in the lower limbs and lead to the timely implementation of the correct treatment first time.
Jemell Geraghty
Nurse Consultant Tissue Viability & Lecturer King’s College London
Qualifications: DHRes, MSc, BN, RGN, FHEA
jemell@vascularwoundcare.com
Find Jemell Geraghty on:
X | LinkedIn | Google Scholar | Articles
“This is the time to stand up for legs, behind every person with a lower limb condition is a story waiting to be heard.”
Dr Jemell Geraghty currently holds the position of Lecturer in Adult Nursing, leading the tissue viability module at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King’s College London; Jemell has been collaborating with King’s College since 2011. Dr Geraghty is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), an international recognition of commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher education.
Jemell is an accredited Global Nurse Consultant in Tissue Viability and co-director of AD INTEGRUM Vascular & Wound Care®, together with leading Vascular Consultant Mr Lukla Biasi, offering state-of-the-art joint Vascular and Wound Care expertise.
Jemell is a Trustee of the Lindsay Leg Club Foundation and is actively involved in the Legs Matter campaign since its formation.
Jemell is passionate about inclusion health and addressing social and health inequalities as well as advocating for the patient and family voice in wound care.
Clare Greenwood
Clinical Nurse Specialist in Tissue Viability & Visiting Research Fellow
Qualifications: RGN, MSc, PGCert, PhD
clare.greenwood2@nhs.net
Find Clare Greenwood on:
Twitter | ResearchGate
“I am passionate about lower limb wounds prevention and healing, with a special interest in the complexities of the heel ”
Dr Clare Greenwood is a clinical academic at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, NHS Trust, where she has worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Tissue Viability for 15 years. She is a Trustee for the Society of Tissue Viability and Associate Editor for the Journal of Tissue Viability.
Clare completed her doctorate in 2020 which focused on the use devices for the prevention of heel pressure ulcers, which she has presented at national and international conferences, and has informed a successful NIHR HTA Trial “WHiTE14-PRESSURE 3”.
Bethany Head
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Operational Lead for Sirona
Qualifications: BSc Hons, V300, PG Cert
bethany.head1@nhs.net
“I feel privileged to be part of the Coalition, promoting the patient voice and best practice in leg ulcer management to improve outcomes”
Bethany has worked in wound and leg ulcer management since 2016 and is now a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Operational Lead for Sirona (Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire) Wound Care Service.
Bethany developed her passion for wound and leg ulcer management after working with an inspiring mentor who had a passion for leg ulcers and now strives to share her own passion for improving leg ulcer management with others.
Alison Hopkins MBE
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.
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.
Jayne Robbie
Course Lead; MSc in Advancing Practice in Peripheral Vascular Disease
Qualifications: MSc, BSc(Hons), PGCE(HE), FRCPod, FRCPSG
Jayne.robbie@bcu.ac.uk
Find Jayne Robbie on:
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“By working with Legs Matter, we can increase the reach of FDUK and incorporate the lower limb and not just the foot. This will hopefully enable us to reduce the healthcare inequalities that exist for people clinically”
Jayne is a Senior Lecturer in Advancing Diabetes Care and Course Lead for Advancing Practice in Peripheral Vascular Disease at Birmingham City University as well as a Diabetes Specialist Podiatrist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust.
She has been involved with high risk foot care for over twenty five years, and has been pivotal in the ACT NOW campaign to raise awareness of early referral of foot problems to specialist centres to reduce amputations. Jayne represents Foot in Diabetes UK (FDUK) for which she is Co-Chair.
Jayne is currently a doctoral student – researching health care inequalities and delays in accessing specialist foot care for people with highrisk diabetic foot disease.
Gill Sykes
Advanced Podiatrist
Qualifications: MChs, SRCh, MSc
g.sykes@nhs.net
“Legs Matter means holistic involvement and pulling all disciplines together to give the best outcome for the patient by sharing knowledge”
Gill is an Advanced Podiatrist working in rural North Yorkshire and has specialised in wound management and offloading for many years now in the NHS. She enjoys the holistic management of foot ulceration and working as part of a multi disciplinary team.
She currently represents The Royal College of Podiatry and was previously a Trustee for the Society of Tissue Viability.
