Fane Clinic: step up

The Fane Clinic Ltd has offered Foot Care, the provision of prescription orthotics, and the treatment and management of injuries since 1993 – and it continues to grow and develop. The Moment talks to the MD Adrian Woolley about additions to the service and how he is guided by his staff and patients

As the Fane Clinic has grown both your wife Louise and stepdaughter Stephanie have joined you here. Was it ever the intention that it should be a family business?
It really just evolved that way. My wife works in the foot care side of the business, and although Stephanie could have chosen a number of careers, she followed her into this business – which I’m very happy about! Since being here, Stephanie has passed her diploma in biomechanics, and has started to assist me and our Podiatrist Kevin Watts in this department. Biomechanics involves looking at the posture and function of the feet during the gait cycle; the feet are our base, and if the feet are not working as they should than you can have problems all the way up the body. This qualification has given her the knowledge of how the feet should operate during the gait cycle and how to spot when they don’t, and she is getting more directly involved in the orthotics side of the business. To be honest, though, we’re all like a family here. That’s the ethos. Most of us have been together for a long time, working and growing together, and I hope we continue that way for many years to come. We’re all different, and all of us bring new skills or the potential for new skills, but I try to encourage staff to develop areas of interest that also add to the clinic’s skill set. It’s always been about that willingness to grow and develop.

Can you give us some examples of that?
Victoria works as a Sports Therapist, and since being here has amongst other skills become qualified in cupping and dry needling, a form of acupuncture. A lot of people find that this trigger point therapy can really improve flexibility and range of movement where there is muscular pain and stiffness, and that has added a new means of treatment. Victoria regularly uses this on patients when more traditional treatments are not having the desired effect. Interestingly many patients with fibromyalgia have reported that they have had very good results from it. From the last article you will know we have had Jo – a beautician – who joined us towards the back end of last year. Although this is not a medical appointment, it adds another string to our bow and has come in direct response to patient suggestions. In essence, it means that if someone comes in to have foot care treatment they can have their nails done at the same time without having to go into town where parking is an issue. It makes us a onestop- shop.

How many staff do you have now?
We have three new additions: Amanda covering Chloe on reception who is on maternity leave having just given birth to a beautiful baby girl called Frankie, Helen who is assisting our Practice Manager Emma and Jillina, who is a new Foot Health Practitioner. This means that we now have a total of nine people working in the clinic as well as 13 practitioners on the road providing foot care in 40 care homes nationwide. There’s hardly a moment someone here is not taking a professional course to improve expertise or add a new skill. I believe it’s vital we keep on top of any new medical knowledge, techniques and equipment, but also that it’s a fulfilling and rewarding environment in which to work. The Fane Clinic has been supporting Peterborough’s people for some 26 years now. Several staff have been with us for a large part of that journey and I expect many who are here now to still be with us in many years’ time, because of the way we do things. It’s so important to have the right staff on board – and I’m always prepared to look at any ideas or new directions that they have. If it’s good for the patient, the staff and the business we’ll do it!

THE FANE CLINIC The Old Farmhouse, Freston, Paston Ridings, Peterborough PE4 7XB. 01733 571555 www.thefaneclinic.co.uk

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