Fran Quinn-Thomas

Biography

Fran qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2014 having completed my degree at Keele University. Following this, she wished to stay in the local area, and completed my junior rotations in what was then Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust. During this time, she gained a passion for Neurology and worked within this several private organisations between 2015 and 2021.

Across her different employments, she gained a special interest in complex care (including tracheostomy care/weaning), long-term condition management and disorders of consciousness. She also was a practice educator for students, and was keen to support their educational journey.

In 2021, Fran graduated with a Masters in Neurological Rehabilitation from Keele University and her dissertation explored the emerging role of sleep assessments in assisting with diagnosis for individuals with prolonged disorders of consciousness.

In 2019, Fran transitioned to working in higher education. For the first few years, this was predominantly on Physiotherapy courses. For the academic year of 2020/21, I was joint Course Leader for the MSc pre-registration Physiotherapy programme at Birmingham City University, before returning to Keele in August 2021. Whilst at Keele, Fran has completed several roles including CPD Lead and Director of AHP Placements.

Fran is recognised nationally for her passion to improve placement learning and has been involved in several core projects related to placements including the review of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's Common Placement Assessment Form. Fran has successfully led the placements team to win a national award (CAHPO Award 2024), as well as being shortlisted for several other awards.

She has a keen interest in sustainability and has supported students with the Planetary Health Report Card submissions for Physiotherapy for several years. This includes being awarded 1st in the world in 2025.

She is registered with both the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). In 2025, Fran was awarded Senior Fellowship with Advance HE. She is also a member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists Interested in Neurology (ACPIN) and is registered as Carbon Literate through the Carbon Literacy Trust.

Research and scholarship

• Functional activities of the upper limb in neurological patients
• Holistic management of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness
• Long-term tracheostomy management
• Sustainability within healthcare & healthcare programmes
• Simulated placement learning for all healthcare professions
• Placements across the Four Pillars of Advanced Practice
• Student experience on placement
• Student attainment, retention and employability
• Placement models

Teaching

Fran is involved in teaching across the AHP programmes. She leads the mandatory training teaching, and supports students in sessions preparing them for placement as well as simulated learning activities. She also supports in the delivery of teaching and assessment related to neurological physiotherapy.