Consultants

Mr Jon Baldwin

Jon qualified as a Physiotherapist in Cardiff in 1994 after previously completing a degree in Human Movement Studies. He is an experienced physiotherapist having worked within the NHS prior to gaining further experience in New Zealand. On his return to Wales, Jon spent two years at BUPA Cardiff, before his recruitment to the Vale Clinic in 2002.

Mr Adrian Brown

Mrs Rachel Disley

While working with the World Cup Irish Women’s Hockey Squad in physiology capacity, she qualified as a physiotherapist from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. During her time studying she won two Irish Senior Hockey Cup medals and played for the Leinster Senior Team.

Before moving to Cardiff, she worked in the main Trauma Orthopaedic centre in Dublin as Senior in Orthopaedics. During this time she specialised in orthopaedic surgery rehabilitation and spinal rehabilitation, gaining a postgraduate certificate in spinal manual therapy.

Rachel works hard to bring together her exercise physiology and manual therapy training in all her treatment programmes. She ensures each patient maximises their rehabilitation and returns to their favourite sport or activity at a higher level than where they left it pre-injury / surgery.

Currently Rachel works closely with all our Orthopaedic Consultants to provide the best, most efficient rehabilitation programmes to her patients. Previously she has worked with many highly respected Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons in revising and updating best practice rehabilitation programmes for spinal surgery and ACL reconstruction surgery.
 

Mr Nick Barton

Mrs Nicky Munro

Nicky qualified in 1981. Initially working for the NHS she gained experience in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and pre and post operative surgery having worked and supervised Orthopaedic outpatients departments in the UK and abroad.

Nicky provided physiotherapy for the Welsh Judo Team, British Throwing Squad and spent five months in a ski resort treating various winter ski and snow boarding injuries.

Having gained a  Diploma in Manual Therapy and Manipulation in Australia Nicky returned  to work in a London clinic specialising in ‘hands on’ physiotherapy. Nicky was  recruited to Vale Healthcare in 2009  where she  continues to practice her expertise in the clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.

Mr Jonathan Slack

Jonathan qualified from the British School of Osteopathy in 1997 with a B.Sc. Hons (Ost) and in 2001 moved to Wales in order to start his osteopathic practice in Penarth.  Since graduating he has worked with many physiotherapists and orthopaedic consultants and joined the Orthopaedic team at Vale Healthcare in 2008.  The integration of an Osteopath into a Physiotherapy department has been of great benefit in terms of both the many different Osteopathic techniques used and the perspective with which Osteopaths treat their patients.

Jonathan has a special interest in Sports Injuries, Sports rehabilitation and Cranial Osteopathy.  He has undergone extensive post graduate training in these fields and is currently studying for his M. Sc. in Osteopathic Sports Care for which he is combining traditional osteopathic thinking with the latest advances in exercise physiology, exercise prescription and rehabilitation.

Jonathan uses a holistic approach to his patients and generally examines his patients physically, ergonomically and bio-mechanically before treatment.  Jonathan has a particular interest in problems within the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine but is well trained in the treatment of the body as a whole.

Ms Donna Powell

Donna qualified as a physiotherapist from Cardiff in 2005 having previously obtained a degree in psychology.

Having re trained as a physiotherapist, Donna gained valuable experience at Morriston and Singleton Hospitals in Swansea, where her primary interest was in orthopaedic assessment and rehabilitation as well as within a sports setting with Swansea City’s Centre of Excellence.

Donna was recruited to Vale Healthcare in 2010, where she focuses on a hands on approach to physiotherapy, seeking to identify problem areas and treat these directly.

She is currently studying for a diploma in orthopaedic medicine and is a qualified acupuncturist and member of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists.
 

Ms Catherine Hext

Catherine qualified as a Physiotherapist from Keele University in 2001. Working for Cwm Taf NHS Trust from 2001 until 2010 she gained experience in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of individuals with musculoskeletal injuries.

Working with the lower limb orthopaedic consultants Catherine developed post operative rehabilitation protocols with a specialist interest in Anterior Cruciate Ligament and lower limb rehabilitation.

Further postgraduate training followed, with the award of MSc Sports Physiotherapy from Cardiff University in 2008.

Catherine was recruited by Vale Healthcare in March 2010 working as a Senior Physiotherapist.

Catherine is an acupuncture practicioner and a member of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists .

Dr Nicki Phillips

Nicki is a Chartered Physiotherapist and a reader in Cardiff University, where she is also Vice Dean of the School of Healthcare studies and Director of Postgraduate Healthcare Studies.

Her academic post is mainly centred around her role as Programme Manager of the MSc in Sports Physiotherapy. She is also contracted out of Cardiff University by the Sports Council for Wales as a physiotherapy consultant developing a physiotherapy support network for High Performance athletes in Wales.

Nicki is currently Vice-President of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine. She also chairs the Professional Development committee of the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy and was part of an expert panel involved in compiling international competency standards in sports physiotherapy.

Nicki completed her PhD in Cardiff University on the challenges of functional coping in ACL deficiency. Her main area of experience is in the field of sports injury management, with a specific interest in sports rehabilitation of upper and lower limb.

Sports experience includes working with the Welsh and British Weightlifting teams, professional rugby union, three Olympic Games, two Team GB Olympic Holding Camps and six Commonwealth Games. She was Chief Physiotherapist for Team GB at Beijing Olympic Games and is the Head Physiotherapist for Team Wales at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Nicki works in the Vale Healthcare Physiotherapy Dept in the Bay two evenings each week.