As part of our Day in the Life series of colleague stories, we’re introducing you to Tom Bounford, Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) Pain Management across MSK/Pain Services within the Midlands. Here Tom tells us more about a day in his life at Connect…
Tell us briefly about your professional background:
Hi there, I’m Tom Bounford and I currently work as an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner in Pain Management. I’ve been qualified as a physiotherapist since 2012 (qualifying from The University of Birmingham on the MSc pre-reg course). Prior to this, I did my undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and worked for a couple of years as a lab technician in The Birmingham Regional Genetics Laboratory.
Before working in Connect, I worked as a senior physio in the local NHS MSK service in Wolverhampton, having started there as a junior physiotherapist (as it was known at the time) and gaining experience across the varying specialities in the hospital and community settings.
How long have you been in Connect Health and what attracted you to the role?
I’ve worked in Connect Health since 2017, having applied for a pain management post when Connect won the bid for the local MSK contract in Wolverhampton. I was attracted to the post working in pain management, having developed some experience within the field whilst working in the MSK department. At the time, I was interested in the biology of pain due to my past background in science, and the new movement of ‘Explain Pain’ interventions that were becoming ‘trendy’ in the profession! I was often frustrated at the limited benefit I was providing to individuals with chronic pain at the time when using tissue-specific treatments alone and felt a more ‘zoomed out’ and integrated approach to treatment was often more helpful.
I remember speaking to Richard Pell at the time, who set out a pioneering vision for the service and the ability for me to also develop into an Advanced Practice role. I was keen to be part of this development and it proved to be a really positive step in my career and development.
Has your role changed/developed since joining Connect Health? How have you adapted?
Initially when I started in Connect Health, I worked across the clinics in Wolverhampton doing face-to-face assessments in the pain management arm of the Integrated MSK service. Alongside this, I helped develop and run the pain management group programmes in Wolverhampton with my colleagues. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with other services, we developed a virtual pain management program to help improve access and flexibility in delivery of this valuable treatment. This became very useful during the height of the pandemic when the traditional face-to-face group options were in adjournment, and worked in a virtual capacity.
During the pandemic, I moved to Scotland with my family due to a job opportunity for my wife (who is a ‘Weegie’) and I was lucky enough to be able to continue working virtually in my role. Coming out of lockdown restrictions, I have been fortunate to able to still work virtually by being part of the blended model of clinic delivery. I have had to adapt assessments, and I believe this has enhanced my verbal communication, being less able to rely on the other types of communication, employed in a face-to-face setting. I have also had to ensure that I communicate well with colleagues in meetings or over email when I require support. Working virtually can, by nature feel more isolating, although the regular meetings over MS Teams has helped to keep a strong sense of connection to the teams.
What does a typical day in Connect Health entail?
My average day generally starts with the ‘challenge’ of doing the school run now, having two primary-school age daughters. Once I’ve got back, had a brew, and possibly a couple of deep breaths, I then can log on….
My day can be quite varied and can include a mixture of duties such as triaging referrals into the MSK service, delivery of patient assessments, alongside being part of multi-disciplinary (MDT) meetings to discuss more complex cases with my peers. I have also started to deliver online pain management programs over MS Teams which has been a good experience.
I have enjoyed thinking about how we can utilise the online platform to enhance the delivery of education which can sometimes be a challenge. I find the collaborative style of working beneficial and feel lucky for working within a great team of clinicians.
What influence/change have you brought within your role?
As mentioned, within my role I have been surrounded by a team of great clinicians, and change has been a collaborative process, something which we value highly in pain management. I am proud to have been part of the team which initiated and developed virtual pain management delivery within Connect Health, and I feel this has allowed us to support a group of individuals living with chronic pain that may not be best served through traditional care models.
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