Emily Sale

What are the main responsibilities in your role?

I lead our team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and generic therapy assistants to provide a high quality of service all our trauma and elective orthopaedic wards. I provide specialist assessment and treatment to the service users that either are repatriated back to Airedale from the Major Trauma Centre at Leeds or remain at Airedale to receive their care following major trauma. I attend the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts Rehab Network group where we share good practice as peers, support any training needs identified to upskill staff across the entire Major Trauma pathway and look at ways we can improve the Major Trauma pathway for West Yorkshire.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Working as part of a specialist MDT team to provide rehabilitation to patients under our care. Enabling people to maintain independence particularly after major trauma where they may have sustained multiple complex injuries and working with the service user to problem-solve and make plans to get them home from hospital as quickly and safely as possible.  

What is the most important aspect of delivering excellent patient care?

Effective communication between the multi-disciplinary team on the ward in the first instance as well as with the wider major trauma team across the network. Tailoring service users' care to their individual needs which are goal-focused also ensures the service user is engaged in their rehabiltation.

Tell us something people are surprised to find out about you.

I completed a bee keeping course during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The queen bee in my colony is called Beyonce.