Octopus Clinic team – where the sum is EVEN bigger than its parts

There is no I in team…

Individually awesome physiotherapists and osteopaths do not always an awesome team make.

Before setting up Octopus Clinic I have worked in plenty of teams where ‘bobby-big-balls’ crushed the opinions of lesser egos whilst those wanting to get their voice heard had to do some cringe worthy gluteal kissing to do so. Kindergarten politics at it’s finest. Those that didn’t want to play the game simply left.  What remained was a weirdly polarized team of dominant and submissive individuals. This stifles a team’s potential, prevents growth and ultimately patient care is left wanting. 

Team OC

The Octopus Clinic team could not be further from this situation. Team OC contains individually awesome physiotherapists and osteopaths and yet, even better than this, our sum is still greater than our parts. OK so I may be a little biased but hear me out. First and foremost we are united a positive attitude, a desire to learn from each other and a deep-rooted respect for each other’s opinions. This is what enables our individual differences to be advantages not barriers. By differences I mean differences in clinical background, specialism, ways of thinking and approach to patients. Again we are all united by the desire to provide the absolute best for their patients by considering the latest clinical research and are constantly seeking to change and improve.

The buzz in our clinics is fantastic. Our physios and osteos are constantly asking each other about patients, seeing patients together for second opinions (patients love this,) discussing the latest research, academically ripping to shreds the latest poorly reported health craze, philosophizing over the direction of healthcare today, learning about the exercise they saw their colleague demonstrating to a patient in the gym, or challenging them on some advice they overheard them giving to a patient. This is often done whilst eating cake, which also helps (Friday bake off can get competitive.) I feel happy, excited and proud to be part of this awesome team. 

Difference is good

So what are our differences that make us interesting?! There are those of us that love treating chronic pain and the psychology that goes with it (Claudia Cocci Grifoni and Lucy Macdonald) there are some who have their hearts firmly planted in elite sport and athletics (Jemma Oliver and Tom Davitt,) some of us could think of nothing better than to get someone through a marathon (Hilary Wilson and Anthony Adesamni,) others could treat cyclists all day long (Nicole Oh,) or follow a tri-team around the world and back competing and treating at the same time (Laura Fidler.) Some of us have less well known specialisms like visceral osteopathy (Anna Aydinc) whilst the rest of us have specialisms in the back, knees, shoulders, hips, foot and ankle, elbows and neck (the only one we are missing is a hand specialist.) Some of us have post-grad masters qualifications (Joe Badham and Tom Davitt) and last but not least there those who teach physiotherapists and osteopaths in universities and colleges at home and around the world (Hazel Mansfield, Mark Leyland and Andrew Hudson.)

These things do not by any means define these highly qualified, highly experienced and highly talented individuals. What does is that they are as a team, quite simply, awesome.

The glue

Last but not least there is a secret ingredient to our team’s happiness. She is the person that holds it all together, the person that keeps the admin-intolerant physios and osteos on track, the one who constantly smiles whilst juggling a thousand balls in the air, that’s our splendid Practice Manager, Holly Heard.

Please have a good read of our individual bios, check out our testimonials or get stuck into over one hundred five-star google reviews. Alternatively please feel free to pop in and say hi, we would love to meet you.

Lucy Macdonald (a proud member of team OC)

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