Oxford Team Profiles

Children born with a cleft lip and / or palate may face multiple health problems. Experience has shown that these problems are best supported by a team of specialists from many disciplines who work together with the family to provide for the social, emotional, psychological and educational needs of the child.

This means that, when you visit us, you may find yourself in a room with lots of clinicians – this is quite normal and nothing to worry about. If you feel uncomfortable with so many people in the room, please don’t be afraid to request that only key members of the team remain.

Marc Swan

I was appointed as Clinical Director for the Spires Cleft Centre for both Oxford and Salisbury in January 2022. Twenty years earlier I was a Senior House Officer with the cleft team at the Radcliffe Infirmary before commencing my doctorate at the Nuffield Department of Surgery in 2003. On completing my higher surgical training within […]

Roles / Teams: Surgeons

Guy Thorburn

I am a consultant plastic surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. From 2010 to 2017 I was a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital and at the St Andrew’s Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery in Essex. My special interests include cleft lip and palate, 22q11 deletion syndrome, hypospadias, vascular anomalies and spina […]

Roles / Teams: Surgeons

Juergen Schlabe

I was appointed as a consultant in cleft and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) at the Spires Cleft Centre in January 2023. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about improving the treatment and operative results of children with clefts. I trained as a primary and secondary cleft surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital for […]

Roles / Teams: Surgeons

Matt Fell

I am the nationally appointed Cleft Lip and Palate Training Interface Group (TIG) Fellow for 2023/2024. I am excited and honoured to base my fellowship at the Spires Cleft Centre and be a part of this team. I qualified from Manchester University Medical School in 2011 and completed my Plastic Surgery training in Exeter and […]

Roles / Teams: Surgeons

Jane Sibley

I trained as a children’s nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital after which I quickly became interested in children affected by cleft. I have now been a clinical nurse specialist with the Spires Cleft Centre team for more than 20 years. I have a particular interest and specialist knowledge in the use of fetal MRI […]

Roles / Teams: Clinical nurse specialists

Emma Waterworth

Having qualified as a paediatric nurse from King’s College London, I went on to specialise as a neonatal intensive care nurse and, following this, a health visitor. Initially I worked with the South Thames Cleft team in 2002 and moved to the Spires Cleft Centre team in Oxford in 2012, following a relocation to the […]

Roles / Teams: Clinical nurse specialists

Ginette Phippen

I am a speech and language therapist (SLT) and have worked with the Spires Cleft Centre team in Salisbury since 2002. I have worked as a speech and language therapist since 1989 and, before moving to Salisbury, enjoyed working with children and adults with learning disabilities. In 2013 I gained a Clinical Practice Doctorate from […]

Roles / Teams: Speech and language therapists

Carrie Luscombe

After qualifying as a speech and language therapist (SLT) from Reading University, I worked in a mixed adult and paediatric post in Essex. As part of this post, I was a link SLT for the Great Ormond Street Cleft Service based at St Andrew’s in Broomfield. This fuelled my aspiration to work in cleft full […]

Roles / Teams: Speech and language therapists

Lucy McAndrew

I have worked in the Spires Cleft Centre in Oxford for the last 20 years. After completing a BSc (Hons) in Speech Sciences from University College London and, following several years working as a community speech and language therapist (SLT), I joined the cleft team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. Here I developed an interest in […]

Roles / Teams: Speech and language therapists

Sarah Overton

I qualified as a speech and language therapist (SLT) from Newcastle University and completed post-graduate training in assessment and intervention for cleft palate speech at the University of Sheffield. My role is to help children and adults develop speech they feel happy with, often by working in partnership with families and community speech and language […]

Roles / Teams: Speech and language therapists

Anna Talbert

I am the Clinical Support Assistant for the Spires Cleft Centre and the Oxford Craniofacial Unit. I’m here to support both teams by preparing clinics, updating patient records, communicating with patients and their families, as well as providing other general support where needed. Currently, I am a student at the University of Oxford, studying French […]

Roles / Teams: Administrative team Speech and language therapists

Ricky Pal

Children born with a cleft palate are at greater risk of middle ear problems, glue ear and hearing loss. My role is to monitor their hearing and treat any ear, nose and throat (ENT) problems that arise, especially in the first few years of life. I also liaise with colleagues in other hospitals to coordinate […]

Roles / Teams: Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department

Jenny Cropper

I joined the Spires Cleft Centre in 2020 as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and I am the lead psychologist for the service. I completed my Clinical Psychology doctorate with the University of Surrey in 2005 and have worked in both regional and specialist hospital settings since then. I have worked with children, young people and […]

Roles / Teams: Clinical psychologists

Katie Hamilton

I joined the Spires Cleft Centre in 2023 as a Senior Clinical Psychologist. I completed my Clinical Psychology Doctorate at the University of Surrey in 2013. Since then I have worked within the NHS supporting people of all ages to manage a range of health conditions including Diabetes, Oncology and Cystic Fibrosis. In my […]

Roles / Teams: Clinical psychologists

Corah Lewis

I am currently undertaking my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford. I have previously undertaken research into Craniofacial surgery decision making, so chose to spend my final year specialist placement with the Spires Cleft Team. Prior to my Doctorate, I worked at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and National […]

Roles / Teams: Clinical psychologists

Sandip Popat

I am involved with the dental health element of cleft care from birth to adulthood. Patients born with a cleft lip and / or palate often have dental anomalies, usually in the form of missing, misshapen or even sometimes extra teeth (particularly in the cleft site). I work very closely with other orthodontists and surgeons […]

Roles / Teams: Orthodontists and restorative dentists

Giles Kidner

I trained as a dentist at University College London, then as a Specialist and Consultant Orthodontist at Southend, Royal London, Royal Surrey County and Eastman Dental Hospitals I have worked as an orthodontist at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Oxford University Hospitals since 2000. As part of the the Spires Cleft Centre team, I am responsible […]

Roles / Teams: Orthodontists and restorative dentists

Usha Kini

Following my paediatrics training at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London and at Booth Hall Children’s Hospital in Manchester, I took up specialist training in clinical genetics at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester. I was appointed Consultant Clinical Geneticist in 2005 and have been working at the Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine in Oxford […]

Roles / Teams: Clinical Genetics department

Clinical Photography Team

Our professionally registered clinical photographers provide a comprehensive medical and general photographic service. Patients can be photographed in our studios, on wards, clinics or operating theatres.

Roles / Teams: Clinical Photography

Steven Berry

I have worked in the Spires Cleft Centre team since 2008 and have been the Network Service Manager for both Oxford and Salisbury since 2019. I am currently involved in the day to day running of the Spires Cleft Service, both operationally and clinically.

Roles / Teams: Administrative team

Jade McKnight

I have worked in the Spires Cleft Centre team since 2016, and have been the Service Co-ordinator since September 2020. I manage the administrative team, and am closely involved in the day to day running of the Cleft Service.

Roles / Teams: Administrative team

Victoria Ludlow

As secretary in the Spires Cleft Centre team I am involved in the co-ordination of Mr Swan and Mr Popat’s clinics as well as carrying out other key administrative tasks.

Roles / Teams: Administrative team

Alison Prescott

I am involved in many of the administrative tasks required to support the Spires Cleft Centre team. I co-ordinate clinics and liaise with patients and families under the care of Mr Thorburn and Mr Kidner.

Roles / Teams: Administrative team

Tony Meacock

With the many challenges that cleft patients and their families face, I have the opportunity to speak up in a professional group to represent their best interests, including the quality of the healthcare delivered and the impact of long-term conditions. I bring my extensive business and family experience to the role. Feel free to contact […]

Roles / Teams: Patient and public involvement