CATCH member, Natalie Jones, has been honoured for her significant contribution to the Allied Health Profession

 CATCH member, Natalie Jones, has been honoured for her significant contribution to the Allied Health Profession

Natalie Jones, an occupational therapist pioneering research into important psychological and social aspects of life after a stroke, has received a national accolade for her outstanding contribution to the profession.

Natalie, a Clinical Academic Occupational Therapist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was awarded a Royal Occupational Therapists’ Merit Award in recognition of her “positive influence nationally and internationally as a clinical academic, and contributions as a researcher and as a professional lead for services”.

Natalie, whose career in the NHS spans 28 years, received the accolade for her research on aspects of stroke rehabilitation including eating and drinking skills, using innovative technologies to enhance patient care, and her role in taking on a first-of-its-kind research therapist role at the National Institute for Health and Care Research Sheffield Clinical Research Facility.

As well as bringing opportunities for therapists to work in research, the role has led to the launch of several large studies for stroke patients. This includes studies which looked at how vagus nerve stimulation could be used to improve persistent arm weaknesses experienced in stroke survivors.

Natalie has been instrumental in developing and designing the Breakfast Group Interventions in Stroke Rehabilitation (BISTRo) study. This study aims to find out if intensive interventions in a breakfast group format delivered by a range of healthcare professionals over five weekdays can improve outcomes for patients rehabilitating after a stroke.

Natalie has completed a review of allied health professional roles working in primary care in general practice and her work in primary care has led to the creation of seven new occupational therapist posts. Natalie is an associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and has recently supported undergraduate occupational therapist students to undertake leadership placements in primary care. She was also awarded a prestigious National Institute for Health Research and Care/Health Education England clinical doctoral research fellowship in 2020.

Natalie Jones, Clinical Academic Occupational Therapist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am delighted to have received this recognition from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. Throughout my career I have been driven to make a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of stroke survivors and advancing the evidence base for my profession, so to be recognised and nominated by my colleagues in this way is true privilege.”