Work-based projects and Fellows' learning: Cohort Eight (2026)
This page introduces the Fellows and provides details of the work-based projects being undertaken by Cohort Eight (2026) as part of the AHP Careers Fellowship Scheme. These are listed below, alphabetically by the Fellow's employing organisation.
Feel free to reach out to the Fellows to discuss their plans.
Summary infographic
Check-out this summary infographic of all the great work the AHP Fellows will be leading on in 2026 - 2027.
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Developing a sustainable voice and upper-airway service through early and asynchronous intervention
Stephen Jannetts
Speech and Language Therapist
NHS Ayrshire & Arran
E-mail: Stephen.Jannetts@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Social media: @SJannetts
Project title: Developing a Sustainable Voice and Upper-Airway Service through Early and Asynchronous Intervention
Project overview: I am developing and evaluating an enhanced Speech and Language Therapy pathway for people with voice and upper airway conditions. The project focuses on strengthening clinical governance, clarifying scope of practice, and testing small-scale asynchronous pathway innovations to support safe advanced practice development within ENT and respiratory services. It will explore structured triage processes, defined competency frameworks, and improved coordination across services.
The overall goal is to improve patient experience, reduce unnecessary duplication, and support sustainable, high-quality service delivery while ensuring that any role development or pathway change is underpinned by clear governance and evaluation.
Keywords: Asynchronous care pathways, clinical governance, voice and upper airway
Professional Interests include:
- Advanced SLT practice development in ENT and Respiratory care;
- Digital and data-informed clinical practice
- Service redesign and evaluation
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Leading sustainable service change
- Measuring impact (access, experience, safety, efficiency)
Something else about me: Voice geek, allotmenteer, once got so into coffee that I started a small coffee roasting business on the side.
Waiting well with dizziness- designing a vestibular rehabilitation service for the future
Gail Tripney (She/Her)
Physiotherapist
NHS Forth Valley
E-mail: gail.tripney@nhs.scot
Project title: Waiting well with dizziness- designing a vestibular rehabilitation service for the future
Project overview: To enable the development of a dizziness pathway within my community rehab team (ReACH Clacks and Stirling) which will have 2 strands: early identification of frail patients who need a tailored community vestibular rehabilitation approach and those who can be supported to self manage through access to a local clinic for assessment and self management resources
Keywords: vestibular rehabilitation, pathway, self management
Professional Interests include: Community rehabilitation, self management, falls and frailty
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- An opportunity to lead a project
- Learning from the Fellows
- Evaluating practice and implementing changes
Something else about me: Love alternative 90s music, foodie, mum of one
Developing a radiographer role in performing left ventricular volume analysis of CMR imaging
Christine Brockway (She/Her)
Diagnostic Radiographer
Golden Jubilee University National Hospital
E-mail: christie.brockway@gjnh.scot.nhs.uk
Project title: Developing a radiographer role in performing Left Ventricular Volume Analysis of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Imaging Studies
Project overview: My project will develop a training pathway for an experienced Cardiac MRI (CMR) radiographer to perform Left Ventricular Volume Analysis to a standard consistent with Imaging Consultants, relieving pressure on reporting Consultants in a busy CMR service. Design and development of this role-development programme and sign-off processes will involve working with the radiography managers network and ensuring all governance requirements have been satisfied. This will enable creation of a robust and formalised training pathway, allowing role-development to progress.
Keywords: Advancing practice, service development, CMR analysis
Professional Interests include: CMR optimisation, advancing practice, role-development
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Leadership
- Collaborative practice
- Evaluating current practice and driving change
Something else about me: Mum, dog owner, cyclist, runner, music lover. Too many hobbies, not enough time!
OT pain management programme for people with lived experience of chronic pain
Jayne Angilley (She/Her)
Occupational Therapist
NHS Grampian
E-mail: Jayne.angilley@nhs.scot
Project title: Co –producing an Occupational Therapy Pain Management Programme for people with lived experience of Chronic pain in Remote and Rural communities within Moray.
Project overview: To co-produce, deliver and evaluate a Community based Occupational Therapy Pain Management programme. This would enable people with lived experience of Chronic pain, who live in remote and rural areas in Moray, to self- manage their condition.
Keywords: Co-production, Self-management, Chronic pain
Professional Interests include: Chronic Pain, Health and Well-being, OT in Primary Care.
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Developing leadership skills.
- Exchanging ideas with other Fellows
- Developing and enhancing my practice.
Something else about me: I enjoy running, yoga and being outdoors in the beautiful Cairngorms.
Enhancing Primary Care Dietetic Support for Healthy Weight and Nutritional Resilience in Moray
Clara Carr (She/Her) and Yvonne Maclean (She/Her)
Dietitians
NHS Grampian
E-mail: Clara.Carr@nhs.scot and yvonne.maclean3@nhs.scot
Project title: Enhancing Primary Care Dietetic Support for Healthy Weight and Nutritional Resilience in Moray- focusing on patients with overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes
Project overview: To explore and evaluate the impact of embedding dietetic services in primary care to support early detection, prevention and treatment of undernutrition in Moray. Our project will inform national guidance for Dietitians working in primary care (GP practices) in Scotland. This will involve evaluation case-finding and training primary care staff in undernutrition and obesity provision, to save on prescribing and improve self-management and preventing chronic disease, with the aim to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.
Keywords: integrated dietetics, undernutrition, prevention, detection and early intervention, upskilling, impact and value, collaborative practice – cross profession, primary care dietetics, public health, nutrition, diet and lifestyle.
Professional Interests include:
Clara: Public health/health promotion; primary care dietetics, diabetes, obesity, gastro-dietetics, IBS, service user feedback
Yvonne: Nutrition support, allergy, digital ways of working, advanced practice.
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
Clara:
- Leading a project
- Advancing my career demonstrating advanced practice
- Learning from the Fellows
- Implementing primary care dietetics in Scotland while demonstrating and developing advanced practice in particular leadership skills.
Yvonne:
- Developing leadership skills.
- Increasing confidence in producing and delivering presentations.
- Working in collaboration with GP practices.
- Seeing how dietetics can make a difference in undernutrition.
- Participating in the fellowship itself
Something else about me:
Clara: Based in south Scotland, runner, enjoy worship music, international cuisine and travelling. Lived in England, Singapore, France and Switzerland.
Yvonne: I live in Caithness and work fully remotely for NHS Grampian. I love coffee and home baking!
Early Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy
Jenny McCombie (She/Her)
Physiotherapist
NHS Grampian
E-mail: jenny.mccombie@nhs.scot
Project title: Early Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy
Project overview: Aims to improve developmental outcomes for children by establishing a clear, evidence‑based pathway for the early detection of cerebral palsy. This work will involve a comprehensive evaluation of national and international guidelines. In addition, the project will draw on lived and living experiences from families and individuals affected by cerebral palsy to ensure that the resulting pathway is both clinically robust and sensitive to real‑world needs.
Keywords: Working with children and young people and their family, early intervention and collaboration with key stakeholders.
Professional Interests include: Patient-centred care, multidisciplinary teamwork, service improvement
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Learning from fellows and developing a service improvement
Something else about me: I am from Aberdeen but lived overseas for 15 years. I have husband and 3 children who keep me busy outside of work
To improve virtual delivery of orthotic services and maximise HCSW skillset
Isabella Proctor (She/Her)
Orthotic Clinical Assistant Team Lead
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
E-mail: Isabella.Proctor@nhs.scot
Project title: To improve the virtual delivery of Orthotic services and maximise Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) skillset
Project overview: To develop and expand the role of Orthotic support workers to become part of our active clinical referral triage team, increasing digital capacity and to improve patient choice of appointment in turn delivering quality and timely care to our patients.
Keywords: Best practice, Patient choice, Quality service
Professional Interests include: Support worker education, Support worker role development, Staff wellbeing
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Quality improvement
- How to engage stakeholders
Something else about me: Music lover, attends concerts 2/3 times usually per month, love cherry blossom trees, 24 years in the NHS
Evaluating the impact of a standardised vision screening tool post stroke
Amber McGookin (She/Her)
Orthoptist
NHS Highland
E-mail: amber.mcgookin@nhs.scot
Project title: Evaluating the impact of a standardised vision screening tool post stroke
Project overview: To implement a standardised vision screening tool (VISA) which will screen for visual problems post stroke. The project aim is to implement a standardised vision testing approach as per the National Guidelines for Stroke UK and Ireland published in 2023 in NHS Highland. The aim is to have Orthoptic presence on the Stroke ward with more timeous assessment resulting in positive impact on rehabilitation for service users which in theory may impact on earlier discharge. The aim is to improve service users understanding of why/how vision is affected and offer timely intervention for rehab.
Keywords: Patient centred, Rehabilitative, Collaborative practice
Professional Interests include: Advanced Practice – Neuro-ophthalmology/orthoptics, Workforce development and Practice Education
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Leading a project
- Evaluating practice and implementing change
- Quality improvement in pathways
Something else about me: Inverness- based, Born in Glasgow, Gym bunny
Embedding a functional based home first discharge approach
Carole Mitchell (She/Her)
Occupational Therapist
NHS Highland
E-mail: Carole.mitchell2@nhs.scot
Project title: The AHP influence on acute hospital discharge risk tolerance - Embedding a Functional based, Home First Discharge Approach
Project overview: Aims to improve outcomes for older adults living with frailty by strengthening early decision making in an acute admission. By introducing early AHP core assessment and agreeing clear and proportionate functional expectations for safe discharge, the work supports earlier access to rehabilitation, reduces avoidable delays, and helps people return home with appropriate support rather than long‑term dependency on large care packages.
Keywords: Older adults, frailty, functional criteria led discharge.
Professional Interests include: Older adults, frailty, intermediate care, DWD, integration
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Leading a complex transformational change project
- Developing project management skills
- Developing educational resources
- Implementing change and evaluating impact
Something else about me: Inverness based, mum, OT, easily distracted by Disney and dogs
Defining Effective Coaching & Video Feedback to Strengthen Early Parent/Caregiver Interactions
Sharon Smith (She/Her)
Speech and Language Therapist
Highland Council
E-mail: sharon.smith3@highland.gov.uk
Social media: @SharonSSLT
Project title: Defining Effective Coaching and Video Feedback to Strengthen Early Parent–Caregiver Interactions: Developing Practitioner Guidance with the PICABOO Tool
Project overview: Aims to develop guidance on the use of modelling and coaching with video feedback for practitioners working with parents and carers and their infants when discussing early interaction and attachment. This guidance would sit alongside a collaboratively developed tool (PICABOO: Positive Infant Caregiver Assessment Based On Interaction) for families needing targeted support that can be used by parents/ carers, or by practitioners with parents and carers to focus on their interaction in a positive way.
Keywords: Early Preventative Intervention, Attachment, Collaborative Whole Family Support
Professional Interests include: Public Health, Collaboration, Early Intervention and Prevention
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Having dedicated time to gather and present data on a public health project and learning how to do this in a meaningful way
- Collaborating with wider services to share learning
- Learning and sharing alongside the other fellows through hearing about the different projects and in the learning sessions
Something else about me: I have a house full of labradors, love hiking and am a Ross County Supporter
Driving Forward: Enhancing Dementia Driving Assessments in Scotland
Sarah Jane Donald (She/Her)
Occupational Therapist
NHS Lanarkshire
E-mail: Sarahjane.donald@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
Project title: Driving Forward: Enhancing Dementia Driving Assessments in Scotland
Project overview: This project aims to improve how driving ability is assessed for people living with dementia across NHS Lanarkshire. It will focus on strengthening current practice by increasing staff confidence in using the Rookwood Driving Assessment Battery and creating a clear, person‑centred pathway that guides individuals from the first signs of concern through to the final driving decision. This includes developing comprehensive guidelines that outline assessment steps, decision‑making processes, and appropriate follow‑up actions.
Keywords: Dementia, Driving, Pathway
Professional Interests include:
- Young Onset Dementia
- Occupational Therapy
- Cognitive Rehabilitation
Looking forward to gaining experience and learning more about:
- Leading a project
- Exchanging ideas with others and learning from the Fellows
- Evaluating my practice and implementing changes that will be sustainable
- Leading service improvements in dementia care
Something else about me: I live on a working sheep farm with my hubby and 4 kids.
Find out more
We would encourage you to reach out the Fellows to discuss their work-based projects.
If you would like to find out ore about the AHP Careers fellowship Scheme please get in touch with the team at AHP.Fellowships@nes.scot.nhs.uk