Specialisms
• Terminal illness and palliative care.
• Cancer.
• Progressive neurological diseases.
• End-stage respiratory illnesses.
• Loss of Services in fatal accident claims.
• Associated chronic pain and fatigue.
• Associated orthopaedic injuries including pathological fracture due to bony metastases.
• Associated spinal/spinal cord injuries.
• Associated mental health and cognitive impairment.
• Moving and handling and associated pressure care.
Clinical Currency Statement
As at March 2025, I am engaged in the role of Specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapist for the Woodlands Hospice Charitable Trust, Liverpool, for an average of 90 hours per month.
Signed
Specific Injuries Experience
Jennifer works as a Band 7 Specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapist as part of an integrated hospice and community team specialising in complex assessments and treatments of individuals with a palliative diagnosis.
The majority of Jennifer’s clients are cancer patients, many of whom have metastatic disease with associated complications such as pathological fractures and spinal cord compression. Since the Coronavirus pandemic, Jennifer has seen a marked increase in late diagnosis cancer patients.
Jennifer also supports patients with progressive neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease, brain tumours, multi-system atrophy and dementia. Her caseload also includes patients requiring palliative care for end stage conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis and heart failure.
Her extensive knowledge and experience from working with patients with palliative conditions gives Jennifer a clear understanding of disease progression. This not only allows her to identify and make appropriate recommendations regarding an individual’s immediate and ongoing care needs but, importantly, enables her to support the client and their family during their end-of-life journey.
Jennifer’s experience in assessments, identifying needs and report writing enables her to write loss of service reports. Jennifer is sensitive to people’s needs and empathetic in her approach to loss.
Employment Profile
After qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 2005, Jennifer worked on hospital rotation which saw her spend time on the acute stroke and stroke rehabilitation unit, general medical and surgical ward, ward-based and community intermediate care and re-enablement team and the accident & emergency department.
Jennifer moved into a Specialist Palliative Care role in 2016 and is passionate about working with her patients to understand what can be offered to improve their independence and quality of life. She stays current with developments in therapeutic palliative care interventions ensuring up to date practice hence improving the quality of patient care Jennifer will also look at any additional support for the patient’s family referring on to group therapies, counselling, psychology and bereavement services where appropriate.
Jennifer carries out a full functional assessment of the patient in their own home to determine what life was like for them pre-diagnosis and to identify their short and long-term goals. She also has experience of remote assessment by videocall or telephone. She considers whether the individual’s home environment is meeting their needs both now and in the future by assessing mobilisation, transfers, ADLs, seating, environmental conditions, manual handling, provision of equipment and housing adaptations. Jennifer also looks at access to the community for the patient and assisted technology options such as telecare and voice banking.
In her practice, Jennifer collaborates closely with patents to develop tailored treatment plans for specialist interventions such as fatigue and anxiety management – common challenges faced by those with a palliative diagnosis. In addition, she provides Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBTi) to patients, supporting them to manage their symptoms effectively.
Jennifer’s role also extends beyond direct patient care. Though supporting an environment of continuous learning, she delivers training on OT interventions and supervision of complex cases within the palliative care team.
She proactively engages in MDT meetings, case conferences and patient safety discussions, liaising closely with her direct MDT colleagues, community services and other agencies to ensure a safe and positive patient experience. She has significant experience of accurate report writing to support her decisions and recommendations.
Qualifications and Membership
- BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, University of Liverpool (2005).
- BSc Psychology & Biology, Liverpool John Moores University (2002).
- Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)and RCOT’s Specialist Section for Major Health Conditions and Independent Practice.
- Member of Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
Career History
Present
Care Expert Witness
Jacqueline Webb & Co Limited
2016-Present
Band 7 Occupational Therapist
Woodlands Hospice, Liverpool
2005-2016
Band 6 Occupational Therapist
Aintree University Hospital