BAPO 2018

Technician of the year 2018

This National competition recognises Technicians that improve the quality of patients lives.

Algeos was delighted to sponsor the BAPO Technician of the year award which recognises the unsung heroes of orthotics and prosthetics for the hard work and devotion over the previous 12 months.

What’s special about these awards is that nominations are put forward by peers which are then assessed by a panel at BAPO. The judging panel met earlier this month and were delighted at the very high standard of nominations they received.

The awards were presented at the annual BAPO Conference on Friday 16th March by Algeos Commercial Director Max Sheridan, who said “Algeos are again privileged to support both BAPO and recognise the O&P technicians in the UK & Ireland with this award. The technical staff in the NHS and private companies are integral to the industry and it is great to see the nominations spread across both Orthotics & Prosthetics fields. I would like to extend my congratulations to all the winners."

The winners of the Technician of the Year Award 2018 are:

1st Place John Ellard (Jane Saunders & Manning). Nominated by colleague Nick Galloghy.

At every step, John’s craftsmanship and dedication have gone beyond the pale. With the help of John, I have been able to design and create orthoses that have excellent clinical outcomes.

A most recent case was a lady with considerable fixed foot and ankle deformities and we designed a pair of modified CROWs for her which worked very well. John painstakingly, off his own back and over a weekend, painted almost 5 coats of paint to try and get the desired aesthetic for a patient who was overwhelmed with the result.

2nd Place Mike Merrigan (Pace Rehab). Nominated by Ian Calvert.

One of Mike’s sockets was featured in the 2 part BBC documentary; ‘Without Limits: Vietnam’.

Mike has supported many of the British Cycling Para-athletes. Aside from the exceptional quality of Mike’s manufacturing skills, he is a technician that is only too happy to support the clinicians in the clinical environment. I believe Mike is worthy of some recognition for his outstanding contribution to raising the profile of prosthetics and orthotics in the UK.

3rd Place Karen Slater (Peacocks). Nominated by Gary Carden.

Karen tries to make the patient's choices achievable and allow the patient to have realistic goals. Karen works with the junior orthotists and technicians so that everyone is providing the best service. The attention to details that Karen provides, another technician may overlook but the patient notices and loves. She is always trying to improve the service without affecting the standard of service.

Posthumous Award for Services to Orthotics, Timothy Salt (Otto Bock, Minworth) Passed away November 2017

Timothy has been in the orthotic trade since leaving school (43 years). Nothing was ever too much trouble and he was happy to help all patients and colleagues. He often helped clinicians with the suitability of prescriptions for their patient which made him a highly respected member of the team. He was always willing to give insight into orthotic work with his vast knowledge of all things metalwork and orthotics. He was an inspiration to all that worked with him and will be greatly missed. The award will be presented to Timothy’s family as a gesture of how well respected and appreciated he was within the industry.