Clinical Health Psychology Service

Dr Andrew Lucas, Consultant Lead Health Psychologist
Assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients with chronic pain

Ms Helen Smith, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, London Spinal Cord Injury Centre and Prosthetics Rehabilitation Unit
Coping and adjustment, self-help and peer support

Dr Mina Abedian, Senior Health Psychologist
Assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients with chronic pain

Dr Carol Smyth, Specialist Counselling Psychologist, London Spinal Cord Injury Centre
Coping and adjustment, couples therapy, staff support and research

Dr Nisha Sharma, Health Psychologist
Assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients with chronic pain

Jessica Proctor, Trainee Psychologist

Assistant Psychologist – Vacant

Palvi Shah, Medical Secretary/Patient Pathway Co-ordinator
​​​​​​​Pepitta Saka, Assistant Patient Pathway Co-ordinator​​​​​​​

Clinical health psychologists work with people with physical health problems to support them in adjusting to and coping with their illness or injury, reducing the impact of the illness/injury on their lives and improving their quality of life. Clinical health psychologists are not medical doctors and do not prescribe medication.

We work with adults (over 17 1/2 years old) who have psychological difficulties associated with physical health problems or injury, including but not limited to the following:

• Difficulty adjusting to a medical condition, injury or chronic pain
• Depression and feelings of loss
• Anxiety and avoidance
• Family and/or relationship difficulties
• Difficulty putting into place pain management strategies

The range of physical health conditions patients have, mirrors the specialities of our consultants and includes the treatment of adults with, but not limited to, the following:

• Amputations
• Bone and soft tissue sarcomas
• Chronic pain
• Degenerative joint and musculoskeletal changes
• Peripheral nerve injuries
• Complex shoulder conditions
• Spinal deformities
• Spinal cord injuries

We offer psychological therapy for outpatients, inpatients on the Pain Management and Rehabilitation Programmes and inpatients on the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre.

Our roles also involve research, in-service training and service development.

Confidentiality

The psychologist will take notes during the assessment and any subsequent sessions. These notes are confidential and are kept securely within the department. They are not shown to other professionals. It is standard practice for the psychologist to write back to the professional who originally referred you, with a summary of the assessment and a description of the agreed treatment plan. A copy of this report is usually sent to you, your general practitioner and where appropriate, to other medical professionals within the hospital who are involved in your care. If your psychologist is concerned that you or somebody else you have discussed may be at significant risk of harm they may need to share this information but they would always try to discuss this with you first.

Referrals are accepted from RNOH consultants and other RNOH healthcare professionals, for example, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Psychology Department if you have any other questions about the service. The department is based at the back of the Jubilee Rehab Centre, next to the Pain Clinic, not in the Outpatients’ Department.

Department of Clinical Health Psychology
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Brockley Hill
Stanmore, Middlesex
HA7 4LP

Tel. 020 3947 0043 (option 2)
Email: Palvi Shah, palvi.shah@nhs.net