Helen trained in adult rheumatology, subsequently paediatric rheumatology and has worked in the UK National Health Service as a consultant since 1995 and full time clinical academic since 2000. In various national roles over the last two decades, she led change in clinical care delivery and training in paediatric rheumatology across the UK and worked with international partners to instigate change on a wider scale. Her academic focus has been to improve access to the ‘right care’. Key achievements include development of novel clinical tools, evidence based e-resources and ‘Rightpath’, as a validated model of clinical care (British Society for Rheumatology Best Practice Award 2018). She was appointed in 2017 as Co-Chair of a Paediatric Task Force for the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (http://bjdonline.org). The Task Force aims to describe the global ‘burden’ of musculoskeletal disease in children, engage with stakeholders and develop strategy to raise awareness and address unmet need.
Personal website: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/staff/profile/hefoster.html#publications