Members - The Marbrook Centre

Tracy Haddock

General Manager

I'm a registered nurse and bring a wealth of experience in nursing management, service development and specialist palliative care.

Likes:
Spending time with friends and family

Dislikes:
Spiders and snakes

Stephen Kirker MD FRCP FRCPI

Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine

Stephen Kirker MD FRCP FRCPI

Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine

I bring twenty years of experience providing medical input to rehabilitation Multi-Disciplinary Teams, treating people with neurological disabilities and limb loss.

Likes:
Photography, gardening, hearing my children laugh

Dislikes:
Liver and Kidneys, either on a menu or on a ward

David Whitten

Therapy Lead

David Whitten

Therapy Lead

Being able to play a role in improving someone’s quality of life is why I love my job.

I qualified as a physiotherapist in 2007 and since then have worked in a variety of settings including large teaching hospital and a specialist rehabilitation center.
I enjoy building relationships with individuals and their families and really getting to know the person, what is important to them and what it is that they want from their rehab here at Marbrook.
My role as the Therapy Lead is to support staff, individuals and their families to ensure the provision of high quality person centered rehabilitation.

Likes:
Sport, Movies and Mediterranean food

Dislikes:
Inefficiency, ignorance and people who talk in the cinema!!

Magdalena Swallow

Clinical Service Manager

Magdalena Swallow

Clinical Service Manager

Having worked in the care sector as a registered nurse for over 14 years, I have gained experience in numerous nursing homes including a primary care setting.

I am extremely passionate about delivering high standards of care to residents living with a long term neurological condition, a spinal cord injury or dementia.

Leading by example with a hands-on approach, I aspire to demonstrate great skill and compassion with residents whilst exemplifying integrity with my team.

Likes:
Long walks, holidays with my family, sun, good coffee and my dinner cooked for me.

Dislikes:
Rudeness, big hairy spiders, the word “moist” and a lack of sleep.

Lisa Riches

Clinical Service Manager

Lisa Riches

Clinical Service Manager

After qualifying as a nurse in 1999 I worked in Critical Care before starting at The Marbrook Centre as a Senior Nurse in 2016. I am passionate about providing the best care experience for our residents, delivered by a well-trained and empathetic team.

Likes:
Running and food

Dislikes:
Laziness and being woken up in the night by my children

Emily Cobb

Service Manager

Emily Cobb

Service Manager

I have worked in health & social care for the last 14 years. My career began at 17, as a support worker within a dementia service, I was then able to experience a range of settings including supporting those living with mental health conditions, neurological impairments, autism and learning disabilities. My career has gone full circle, and I am now back in the area I am most passionate about – dementia care.

Likes:
Black coffee, my kittens (Chester & Phoebe) & dogs (Rudy & Frankie), anything written by Alice Oseman, holidays in Cornwall, Autumn & aardvarks.

Dislikes:
A messy desk, thick nib pens, aubergine & courgettes.

Rachel Barber

Senior Occupational Therapist

Rachel Barber

Senior Occupational Therapist

After qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 2012 I spent some time in South-East Asia volunteering at local rehabilitation centres. Upon returning to the UK I started working at The Lister hospital in Stevenage where I gained experience across a variety of acute fields such as surgical, orthopaedics and stroke; it was here that I discovered by passion for neurological rehabilitation. I pursued this further and accepted a role working for the Stroke Early Supported Discharge Team. This involved working in the community, providing therapy for individuals at home for up to 6 weeks post-stroke. I also assisted in the set-up of a new inpatient stroke rehabilitation service at Herts and Essex community hospital.

I enjoy the challenge and diversity that neuro-rehab offers and I am passionate about achieving the very best for all my patients.

Likes:
Food, Travelling, Film, Shopping

Dislikes:
Rain, Bowling, Rollercoasters

Eimear Conroy

Physiotherapist

Eimear Conroy

Physiotherapist

I qualified as a physiotherapist in 2011 and prior to starting at The Marbrook Centre in 2017 was working in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. This has given me the opportunity to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience in the acute setting such as Neuro-Intensive Care, acute neurological and neuro-surgical rehabilitation, stroke and sub-acute neurological rehabilitation, community rehabilitation among many other rotations. My passion is neuro-rehab because I enjoy the challenge, complexity and diversity of the people I get to help every day. I am excited to use the knowledge I have gained to ensure the best for my patients at all times.

FAQ about my name: It sounds like “femur”, just drop the f. It’s a relatively common Irish name.

Likes:
Prosecco, long warm summer days, diving, dogs

Dislikes:
cold/wet and short winter days, when people put milk in the cup of tea before taking out the tea bag!!

Dr Alberto Bonilla Miralles

Clinical Psychologist

Dr Alberto Bonilla Miralles

Clinical Psychologist

After qualifying as a Psychologist specialising in clinical and occupational psychology in Spain, I did rotations in several services with children, psychosis, elderly and neuro. Finding in the latter my true vocation, I studied two MSc in Neurological Rehabilitation and in Clinical Neuroscience, which allowed me to obtain the Spanish qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology.

I arrived to the UK in 2018 and have performed permanent and locum roles in a varied range of services before arriving at The Marbrook Centre in 2022.

Likes: A terrace with friends and some tapas, good manners, coffee.

Dislikes: Brussel sprouts and short-cold-rainy days in winter.

Katie Wilkins

Senior Speech and Language Therapist

Katie Wilkins

Senior Speech and Language Therapist

After qualifying as a Speech & Language Therapist (SALT) from UCL in 2020, I joined an independent SALT practice where I worked with a mixed caseload of adults and children. During these years I supported different neuro rehabilitation units and knew quickly that my specialist interest was supporting adults to re-access communication and conversation after brain injury. I joined the Marbrook Centre in March 2023 as a Senior SALT and I love the collaborative interdisciplinary working we use here.

I particularly enjoy supporting people to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC); eye-gaze devices are probably the most well-known example of this! I also love to see the joy on people’s faces when they have their first sip of tea or coffee, or their first biscuit, after periods spent on modified fluids or diets.

Likes: archery, mini golf, coffee

Dislikes: tea

Alex Brown

Speech and Language Therapist

Alex Brown

Speech and Language Therapist

I qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2015 and have since then have worked in a variety of settings from the community and acute medical wards to specialising in major trauma and stroke rehabilitation. This has given me a breath of knowledge across areas of speech, language and swallowing rehab.

I joined The Marbrook Centre in 2022. I enjoy having the time to build therapeutic relationships with residents here, promoting their autonomy through maximising their communication potential and supporting them to reach their personalised communication and swallow

Likes: Spending time with my family, walking my dog, Indian food, being by the sea

Dislikes: musical theatre, bad coffee

Lauren Labac

Occupational Therapist

Lauren Labac

Occupational Therapist

I earned my Master’s degree in occupational therapy in California in 2019. After graduating with my degree, I gained experience working with a variety of populations and medical diagnoses across multiple medical settings, including outpatient, acute hospital, and inpatient rehab. During my time working in an acute hospital, I learned that my passion was working with patients with neurological conditions. I moved to the UK from the US in 2023 to work in this specific neuro setting and learn about how the NHS functions compared to the US health care system. I enjoy working with residents and their families towards meaningful and functional goals.

Likes: Jokes, traveling, Bourbon biscuits, dogs

Dislikes: English tea, spiders, the middle seat on airplanes

Laoti Limbu

Occupational Therapist

Laoti Limbu

Occupational Therapist

After graduating university in 2021, I completed rotations in Brighton including acute stroke, A&E, community therapy, a generic rehabilitation unit and amputees. I moved to Cambridgeshire in July 2023 and decided to focus on neurological rehabilitation. I enjoy the diverse presentations, the challenge it brings and seeing patients reach their own short term and long term goals.

Outside of working I enjoy photography. I feel that my creative side helps to create treatment programmes that are tailored to the different needs of each patient.

Likes: Photography, black coffee, trying new foods, gin and running.

Dislikes: Tea, winter (other than Christmas).

Josie Kavanagh

Physiotherapist

Josie Kavanagh

Physiotherapist

Carly Oldridge

Assistant Psychologist

Carly Oldridge

Assistant Psychologist

Karolina Maksimoviene

Therapy Assistant

Karolina Maksimoviene

Therapy Assistant

Some time ago I completed a BA in Physical Education, and was a basketball coach. However, when I moved to England in 2010 I found my calling in the Care Sector. My career started in health care with my first job as a community healthcare assistant. I’ve always had a good feeling when I have had a chance to help others. To this day, I have 8 years of experience in Community Healthcare, in Nursing Homes and in Mental Health within a psychiatric hospital. Now, I have the pleasure to work at The Marbrook Centre as a Therapy Assistant. Every day is a new day to learn new skills and gain knowledge, which benefits the people in our care.
My favourite quote: Live today and a little bit of tomorrow!

Like: Mindfulness, dark chocolate, good music, being active, nature.

Dislike: When people are late, math, sour sweets and wet feet!

Angelika Krawczyk

Therapy Assistant

Angelika Krawczyk

Therapy Assistant

Mandy Whitaker

Therapy Assistant

Mandy Whitaker

Therapy Assistant

My background is working as a Prison Officer and then a complete change to working in Pharmacy. I’ve been at The Marbrook Centre for two years after wanting a complete career change. The Therapy Assistant role allows me to be fully involved in the treatment and recovery of our residents, whilst also planning for their future after discharge from The Marbrook Centre.

Likes: Lazy Sundays, Holidays and Eating out

Dislikes: Being late and people that are late!