Queen honours military physio for her work with complex trauma patients

CSP member Kate Sherman, clinical lead physiotherapist in complex trauma at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall in Loughborough, was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) on 10 October, for her services to military casualties.

‘It is clearly amazing to be recognised in my work with an honour like this,’ she told Frontline, before adding that:

However, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without having outstanding colleagues working with me and supporting me with the work I have done .

'Nor in fact without the patients that I’ve worked with, who have generally been keen to meet any of the challenges that I set them!'

Endless opportunities to learn

Miss Sherman, who is originally from  Formby in Merseyside, has worked with the military since 2002 and has bene part of the Complex Trauma team ever since its creation (in 2005) when it was originally based at Headley Court in Surrey.

And, while working at Headley Court, she was involved in the development of sports as exercise, an initiative used by the Battle Back programme, as part of the rehabilitation of injured military personnel.

Speaking about her experience of working with the military and within her team, she said:

‘It has been a truly amazing place to work, with every day being a “learning day”.

‘Whether working with conflict and traumatic injuries, or through moving the entire rehabilitation unit to a different location, or working with Covid-19 restrictions and finding new, more distanced ways to do our jobs.’