Caroline McCartney
President

Qualifying in 1997 with the Institute of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, Caroline has worked across the private healthcare sector in various roles as both a healthcare professional, and a business owner/director. Serving as the official team Chiropodist for Hull City AFC from 2008-2015 helped to enhance Caroline’s professional reputation and served to inspire the growth of her company. Gaining a broad and valuable knowledge of her industry has enabled Caroline to create an established business.

Caroline is extremely active within her profession and has become the UK England North Regional Director for the Institute of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

Caroline’s clinics are based in Hessle and Barton and are growing thriving businesses specialising in Chiropody, Foot Health, Remedial Massage, Beauty, Acupuncture, Counselling and alternative therapies. Using innovation and her high degree of interpersonal relation skills, Caroline has created a team of professionals who really deliver within the healthcare industry. Likability is one of Caroline’s specialities and is a strong tool of her healthcare network building trusted relationships with clients, staff and team members.

Gaynor Wooldridge, Chair Executive Committee

Gaynor is a consultant podiatrist working within a multidisciplinary clinic in Kent. She has a passion and commitment to the field of foot health, with special interests in research, injection therapies, wound care and diabetes. She is a great believer that continuing professional development is central to the ‘lifelong learning’ approach so vital within healthcare..

Abid Ali, Deputy-Director, Executive Committee

I specialise in diagnoses and treatment of the lower limb and foot/ankle but can also help with specific conditions affecting the upper limb and spine. My current workload in Orthopaedic triage involves working alongside Orthopaedics, sports meds, rheumatology and surgical appliances.

I am currently embarking on a number of research projects. Professionally keeping up to date with the latest technology, in the pursuit of advancing clinical and theoretical biomechanics.

I am a unique Consultant Podiatrist specialising in musculoskeletal problems that can affect the foot, ankle, knee, hip or back. I have developed as an extended scope practitioner in the NHS within specialist orthopaedic triage units in 2 hospitals for over 12 years, now specialising in diagnostic ultrasound imaging. During that time, I have extended my scope of practise beyond the traditional remit of podiatric medicine, to include invasive treatments, for the knee and back, and in diagnostic imaging. Prior to my career in Podiatry I had a background and training in sports and elderly care.

I am a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasg), Faculty of Podiatric Medicine and a Consultant fellow of the IoP.

Martin Harvey
Director of Education

Martin Harvey is a consultant Podiatrist at two Birmingham Hospitals dealing with both NHS and private patients. He also has a background in specialist NHS high risk podiatry clinics as well as having his own private podiatry practice in the West Midlands. He is a keen educator and as well as being a tutor for the College of Foot Health he lectures and teaches on specialist subjects to Podiatrists in the UK and abroad including having presented in mainland Europe and Canada.

Beverley Wright
Deputy-Director of Education
I have been in private podiatry practice since 2001, and a senior lecturer in higher education institutions (HEIs). This is alongside my official roles for the Institute of Podiatrists (IoP), as Deputy-Director of the Board of Education; Regional Director: England South; and Essex Branch Secretary. In addition, I have been honoured with a Fellow of the IoP (F.Inst.Pod) award.

My many interests in the podiatry field include education and research; and as a qualified senior practitioner in complementary medicine, which has led to invitations to present complementary medicine, education, health and social care, and podiatry matters.

In academia, I have achieved a BSc (Hons) and Post-Graduate degrees in Health and Social Care, and in Learning and Teaching, with an MSc and MBA.

Somuz Miah, Finance Director

I am a Consultant Podiatrist Prescriber and member of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons Glasgow. I entered the podiatry profession over 24 years ago. Since then, I have continued expansion of my knowledge and have been invited to lecture from here and aboard. I am an OFQUAL and SQA qualified instructor in safeguarding children and adults, first aid, anaphylaxis and oxygen with more than 16 years’ experience in teaching/training with qualifications ‘Certificate Teaching Skill Evidence Based Medicine’, & ‘Level 3 Award in Education & Training Certification’ as well as IOP’s award for ‘Outstanding Contribution towards Education (2015)’and Bengali Community Award (2019). 

My areas of interest include Skin and Nail Surgery; Sports Injuries; Diabetic Foot; Podopaediatrics; Musculoskeletal and Biomechanics (knee and foot); and Injection Therapy. 

As one of the West Midlands leading advanced Podiatrists, specialising in the modern treatment of all types of lower limb problems, I have represented the profession whilst being requested to talk on BBC Radio about foot related matters. Selected for the medical team at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 and am currently the BEONTV Health Programme Presenter. 

I am immensely passionate about the podiatry profession and this passion has been the driving force behind my many achievements within this field. I was one of the very few podiatrists in the UK to qualify as an Independent Prescriber within my area of practice, when it was first introduced. 

Stephen Preston, Regional Director: Ireland

In 2020 I was awarded the Long Service Certificate in recognition of 30 years continuous membership of the Institute.

Having gained HCPC, Department of Health (Ireland) Registration and senior member of the Royal Society of Medicine, I continue in private practice. Previously I was Branch Chairman and delegate to the IoP conference.

New beginnings have amalgamated the Irish branches and I am proud to be the first Irish Regional Director where the Institute has recently gained the greatest membership increase of any region.

I am married to Lynne, have two children and now five grandchildren! I enjoy travel, hold a boating licence, and have an addictive interest in both automobiles and motorcycles. My other passions are music, church organist & choral director since I was sixteen and this continues to be my “labour of love”.

Helen M Jephcote, Regional Director: Scotland

I was a Civil Servant for 26 years with the Scottish Government before deciding on a change of career and enrolled in the Scholl Chiropody Course in 1998. I completed my final examination and practical training in Worthing in 1999 and was allocated to West of Scotland Branch on completion of the course. There was also the North of Scotland branch based in Dundee and East of Scotland branch based in Edinburgh at that time. These branches have since amalgamated and are now known as the Scottish Branch of which I am currently Chair and Treasurer. I was elected as Regional Director in 2013 and represent Scottish interests at Executive Board meetings.

I am married to Jeff, we have two children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. I have a very busy domiciliary practice in Fife.

Bill Liggins, Regional Director: England Midlands

I was trained at the Birmingham School of Chiropody and started my career as a private practitioner, additionally carrying out sessions in the Midlands NHS.  I am a retired Consultant Podiatric Surgeon in which capacity I worked mainly at Solihull Hospital, am a qualified teacher and have lectured widely, nationally and internationally, particularly to Institute members but also to medical organisations.  I am a retired advisor to the Healthcare Commission which appointed me an ‘expert witness’. I am a Fellow of the Institute of Podiatrists, have served as Chairman of the Education Sub-Committee and as Chair of the organisation.  I was delighted to be elected Midlands Branch representative and intend to pursue the Institute policy of providing CPD Regional meetings as well as encouraging branch meetings.  I have taught widely on matters of local anaesthesia and have demonstrated the latter to my former branch – the Leicester & Northants Branch, where I was proud to have been voted into the position of President.

Bill is the current Editor of the Institute of Podiatrists quarterly publication The Podiatry Review.