NEONATAL physiotherapist Hayley Harrison has been elected to a national health committee for people working in specialist areas who help to write guidelines and assist with proof reading and commenting on national documents.

Hayley, who works in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, will serve on the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists’ Neonatal Committee.

She has been a physiotherapist for 10 years and began her career in Musgrove in adult care, followed by a spell in Bristol, where she specialised in paediatrics, before returning to Somerset.

In the past five years, Hayley has expanded her skillset into the care of neonates, and has developed her role in this area of paediatrics.

She works in both Musgrove’s neonatal unit and the children’s unit, caring for youngsters up to 18 years with any kind of medical condition, and also runs neonatal follow-up clinics and specialist groups.

Hayley said: “I applied for a place on the neonatal committee, which involved colleagues on the existing committee reviewing my application.

“I found out five months later I had been selected, which was a real honour.

“The main reason I applied was to broaden my awareness of national policies and documents being created for neonatal services.

“Alongside my clinical role, I wanted to expand my learning and the education side as well.

“I have done a fair bit of proof reading for NHS England in the past, too, and it was something I wanted to continue.

“The committee is working on quality improvement documents, and I am able to focus on patient follow-ups, as well as what we can do as a profession to improve neonatal care, not just the physiotherapy aspect.

“The level of expertise in the group is impressive, so to be able to work alongside them is fantastic, I cannot wait to see where this role takes me.”