The story
Working as an engineer for a large car manufacturer, Tim enjoyed the technical aspects of his role but found the job to be less fulfilling than he’d hoped. After a review and discussion with a career advisor, Tim realised his passion was for helping people, not fine-tuning automobile parts; “I had a bit of a lightbulb moment and realised I wanted to help others, however as an engineer I wasn’t sure my skills would translate. After more deliberation and research, I found that I could combine healthcare and engineering by looking at the biomechanical structure of the body; looking into courses I embarked on re-training and a new career as a prosthetist.”

Tim studied Orthotics and Prosthetics as a mature student, graduating from Salford University in 2008 and honed his skills as a prosthetist in Wolverhampton; before joining Steeper Group at Aintree University Hospital nearly three years ago.

The solution
Working from our Liverpool branch, Tim is part of a close knit team; all have their own individual skills to ensure a service which specialise in more complex socket design and provision. Tim’s place within the team is as a specialist with microprocessor knees (MPKs), such as the Plié 3, as he has a keen knowledge of prosthetic programming software.

When it comes to patient care Tim likes to build trust with his patients “Patients have to have confidence a prosthetist’s knowledge, it’s a massive decision prescribing to an individual patient, as there are so many devices on the market. It’s vital to build an understanding of what each individual wants to achieve that is also realistic within a given time frame - amputations happen for very different reasons and all patients want to live their life the way they want to. It’s my job to listen, understand and explain what the possibilities are and ensure the patient leaves with the most appropriate and comfortable prostheses to achieve their goals.”