She is the team lead for the breast cancer physiotherapy service and works hard to ensure that all breast cancer patients have access to highly specialist physiotherapy care and treatment to ensure patients can achieve their goals and have a high quality of life whilst living with and beyond cancer. Laura also teaches oncology masterclasses in breast cancer rehab, lymphoedema and scar therapy to physiotherapists working with oncology patients across the whole of the Circle Health Group Hospitals in the UK.

Qualifying as a physiotherapist from Coventry University in 2008, Laura started her career working on the Sarcoma (Bone and Soft Tissue Cancer) team at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London where she developed a special interest in oncology. Over the past 18 years she gained a wealth of experience across all aspects of physiotherapy whilst working at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, The Royal Marsden Hospital, and The Walton Centre NHS Trust. Laura also has a broad range of international experience; in 2010 she spent a humbling period in Uganda volunteering as a physiotherapist for a children’s charity where she helped develop their therapy service to help children with neurological conditions. This strengthened her commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centred care in all settings. Laura also worked in Singapore for two years in 2013-2014 at Changi General Hospital and Sports Medicine Centre as Team Lead for a large musculoskeletal physiotherapy outpatient team.

This experience strengthened advanced clinical reasoning and holistic evidenced based rehabilitation with a diverse patient group. On return from Singapore, via a five-month travel period in Asia Pacific, Laura returned to work in the NHS. It was here due to her oncology background that Laura began seeing referrals for breast cancer patients who were previously left with pain, restriction of movement and decreased quality of life following breast cancer treatments. This motivated Laura to further develop her breast cancer knowledge and skills to ensure she could provide patients with the highest quality evidence-based effective treatment. Laura has completed her CanRehab Physiotherapy Course through the CanRehab Trust, Specialist Lymphoedema Management Training with the Lymphoedema Training Academy, Willem Fourie’s renowned Connective Tissue Breast Cancer Course, Scar Management Training with Restore Scar Therapy, and is APPI Pilates trained.

Laura joined The Alexandra Hospital Physiotherapy Department in 2016, where she provides holistic compassionate evidence-based treatment for patients who have undergone surgeries such as mastectomy, axillary node clearance, sentinel node biopsy, wide local excisions and breast reconstructions – implant and autologous including DIEP reconstructions. Laura is also passionate at providing prehab and rehab to patients undergoing cancer treatments – chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy – as exercise significantly helps patients to cope better with these treatments and reduces their side effects. Breast cancer treatments that Laura provides include scar therapy, myofascial release, lymphoedema advice, assessment and treatment including measuring and ordering compression garments and manual lymphatic drainage (MLD).

She teaches exercises to restore movement post-surgery, progressive strengthening exercises, cancer and treatment related fatigue management, and provides advice and preparation for radiotherapy and assessment for radiotherapy fibrosis and helps patients manage treatment-induced menopause symptoms. She prides herself on providing a safe space during her 1 hour appointments so she can address all aspects of her patient’s wellbeing and uses her treatments to help patients achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. Her close working relationship with the breast surgeons, plastic surgeons and breast cancer nurses ensures a co-ordinated seamless approach to patient care.

Outside of work Laura is a proud and busy mum to three energetic young children and loves spending time in her happy place – outdoors in nature, hiking and cycling with her family.

Areas of Interest

• Breast Cancer Rehab
• Oncology
• Lymphoedema
• Scar Therapy

• HCPC (Health and Care Professionals Council)
• CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy)
• MLD UK (Manual Lymphatic Drainage UK)
• ACPOPC (Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Oncology and Palliative Care)