Happy Retirement Pat!

Tiny Lives would like to wish Pat Dulson a very happy retirement (we’ll miss her lots!). Many of you will have met Pat during your time on the unit. Her knowledge, expertise and kindness shone through everyday and her commitment to supporting Neonatal Families made her such a beloved member of staff. We know we aren’t the only ones who will miss seeing Pat’s lovely face on the unit but we hope she enjoys her well deserved retirement!

Patricia Dulson, Clinical Specialist Neonatal Physiotherapist has retired from her current role at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Pat came to Newcastle to train as a Physiotherapist in 1979 and started work at Newcastle General Hospital in January 1983. Pat has had a long career within the Paediatric Physiotherapy Team and in the last 20 years has worked within neonatal care as a neonatal specialist physiotherapist. Pat retires after 40 years’ service for the NHS.

Pat was one of the country’s first specialist Neonatal Physiotherapists, having been funded by the Tiny Lives Trust to develop Developmental Care and Neonatal Follow-up Services at the Newcastle Neonatal Service. Her exemplary knowledge, experience and expertise has been the cornerstone of excellence in Neonatal Physiotherapy and Neonatal Care locally, regionally (within the Northern Neonatal Network) and nationally.

Locally, in Newcastle Pat used her clinical skill and passion for supporting babies and families to develop developmental care guidelines and support the implementation of these practises within the Newcastle Neonatal Service. This is included Tiny Lives funding developmental care aids and environmental improvement for babies and their families (such as incubator covers for light protection and sound monitors for sound protection), positioning aids (such as Claire’s Nests) and Miniboos. Pat also designed and delivered the Developmental Care Teaching for health care professionals working in Neonatal Care.

Pat, along with her consultant colleague Dr David Milligan, recognised that babies who had been born very prematurely or those who had suffered brain injury at birth often went on to have difficulties with movement development and learning after discharge home. Together, they developed one of the first neonatal follow-up services in the UK and offered specialist multidisciplinary clinics to infants (and their families) most at risk of neurodevelopmental difficulties allowing infants to be monitored over time and receive early intervention.

Clinically, Pat has continually sought to develop her own clinical skills, keeping up to date with evidence-based care. She developed the Neonatal Follow-up service, setting up one of the first Physiotherapy led General Movements Assessment service within the UK. More recently, Pat was a pioneer with implementing the Tiny Lives funded vCreate secure video technology for healthcare transformation with neonatal follow-up (in Newcastle and the Northern Neonatal Network). This service allowed families to upload videos of their baby’s movement development for virtual interaction with specialist clinicians. This service was expediated by the need for virtual access to healthcare during Covid-19 pandemic.

Pat has always been very generous with her time and clinical expertise. This was highlighted when she developed the Neonatal Developmental Care Guidelines for the Northern Neonatal Network in 2014. The development of these guidelines led to Pat working with the FINE (Family and Infant Neurodevelopmental Education) team to deliver the first Foundation toolkit for Family Centred Developmental Care to staff working within the Northern Neonatal Network. The network continues to fund Annual FINE course training. 

Pat was the founding member of the Northern Neonatal Network Allied Health Professional Peer Support Group. Pat started this group to support acute and community-based physiotherapists working with babies and families who had experienced neonatal care. In addition, Pat used this forum to co-ordinate and offer education for therapists interested in working within neonatal care. Pat also founded the Northern Neonatal Network General Movements Assessment Peer Support Group. The General Movements Assessment is a highly evidenced based assessment to identify infants at high risk of cerebral palsy.

Pat was an active member of APCP Neonatal Committee between 2008-2014, developing guidelines, forming relationships with wider Neonatal National Groups (such as British Association of Perinatal Medicine). Pat has always been happy to share her skills and expertise and contributing to the development of APCP Neonatal Physiotherapy guidelines and Neonatal AHP Conferences. The APCP Executive Committee have awarded Pat an APCP gold award for services to neonatal physiotherapy that she was presented with today.

Pat has been an active supporter of research in neonatal care and neonatal physiotherapy. Pat was involved in data collection using Bayleys Assessments of Preterm Infants for EPICure studies, development of E-Tips intervention for infants suffering from perinatal stroke and research into Lacey Assessment of Preterm Infants, General Movements Assessment and outcomes for baby’s born preterm. Pat’s contribution to research is highlighted by her research publications.

Pat continues her support for improving neonatal care by participating as a board member of the Tiny Lives Trust.

Words kindly provided by Claire Marcroft.