Our Team
Helen Baker
Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine
BVSc PG Cert. SAM MRCVSHelen graduated from Liverpool University in 2009 and joined the Woodcroft team in 2011, following two years in a small animal practice in Lancashire. She gained her certificate in small animal internal medicine in 2016 and became an RCVS Advanced Practitioner thereafter. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the great outdoors with her husband and their two young children and, when time allows, jogging – and chatting! – with friends
Roberto Bergamaschi
Orthopaedic Surgeon , RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery
DVM(Hon) MSc CertAVP(GSAS) GPADVCert(SAOS) PGCertVPS MRCVSCertificate Holder in Small Animal Orthopaedic Surgery : Roberto worked in a private veterinary clinic in Italy for 17 years before moving to the UK in 2016, gaining experience in small animal surgery, orthopaedics and neurology, and working in the small animal emergency surgery and traumatology department of the teaching hospital at the University of Pisa. At Woodcroft he is fully dedicated to orthopaedics and neurology. Roberto has achieved the RCVS Advanced certificate in small animal surgery making him an Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery, and recently he obtained also the GPADVCertificate in Small Animal Orthopaedic Surgery.
Currently Roberto is working towards the European Certificate (ESAVS) in small animal neurology & neurosurgery.
Roberto loves all aspects of orthopaedic and neurology, but particularly interest he has for advanced corrective osteotomy, elbow and hip dysplasia, arthroscopy and spinal surgery.Kerry Billington
Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery
BVMS PGCertSAS GPAdvCert(SAOS) MRCVSKerry graduated from Glasgow in 2009 and spent several years in mixed practice before making the switch to working entirely in small animal practice. She gained her certificate in small animal surgery in 2014 and became an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in 2016. At Woodcroft, Kerry splits her time between soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery. She particularly enjoys brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome surgery, thoracotomies and fracture repairs. In her spare time Kerry enjoys music and baking.
Kate Brooks
Advanced Practitioner in Ophthalmology
BSc BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS RCVSKate has been working with veterinary ophthalmology referrals since 2010 and joined Woodcroft in 2019. Prior to that she worked in a busy small animal practice. She is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in ophthalmology, and particularly enjoys corneal and cataract surgery. Outside of work she likes spending time with her cavalier King Charles spaniel, drawing and painting – particularly pet portraits as seen at artbykatebrooks.com – sailing and kayaking.
Patricia Connolly
Clinical Director of Behaviour Referrals
BVSc, MRCVS.Patricia joined Woodcroft in 1995 after graduating from Liverpool University, and rejoined in 2003. In between she spent five years in small animal practice developing an interest in behaviour and companion animal mental health disorders, as well as a spell in the US treating rescue behavioural cases. She has a wealth of experience with a wide range of feline and canine behaviour problems, and particular interest in the management of chronic pain, compulsive disorders, geriatric behavioural medicine and psychopharmacology. She has also lectured on behaviour topics and has contributed to both veterinary and behavioural scientific publications. In her spare time she enjoys walking her elderly, yet very lively, English springer spaniel, Rodney, and is also learning to paddleboard.
James Farrell
Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery, Clinical Director of Referrals
BVetMed CertSAS MRCVS RCVSJames qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1998, and has since gained the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Surgery and been listed as an RCVS Advanced Practitioner. He has extensive experience in trauma cases involving skin reconstruction and fracture repair. His special interests include canine cruciate ligament disease, ear surgery, management of aggressive tumours (surgical and chemotherapy) and minimally invasive surgery. He is acutely aware of the pressures facing referring vets in busy practices and is always happy to chat informally about cases. He also has a passion for teaching, and is available to run evening sessions with practices. Outside work, he writes a monthly column for a dog magazine and enjoys a busy family life including three dogs, three cats and two tortoises.
Marta Lopez Garcia
Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Ophthalmology
LDA Vet PGCertSAOphthal MRCVS RCVSMarta grew up in Bilbao, a lovely city in the north of Spain. She qualified in 2010 from the University of Zaragoza in Spain and moved to the UK that same year. She developed an interest in veterinary ophthalmology as a student and completed her certificate in small animal ophthalmology in 2017 and was listed as an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in small animal ophthalmology the same year, demonstrating her abilities to date, and an ongoing commitment to further development of her skills and clinical evaluation amongst her peers. She regularly attends national and overseas congresses to continue learning about the latest developments in the field. In her spare time she enjoys walking her dog Jamie, a rescue saluki cross. She also enjoys meeting up with friends, reading and travelling.
Jane Marshall
Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Cardiology Clinical Director of Cardiology
MA VetMB CertVC MRCVS RCVSJane graduated from Cambridge University and spent several years in a mixed practice in Cumbria where she developed her interest in cardiology. She joined Woodcroft Veterinary Group in 2005 and heads up our Cardiology referral department. Jane gained her RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Cardiology in 1996 and is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner.
Jane regularly attends national and international conferences and enjoys all aspects of veterinary cardiology with a special interest in canine and feline cardiology and the management of congestive heart failure and arrhythmias.
In her spare time Jane enjoys travelling and getting out and about in the countryside hill walking in the Peak District and the Lakes.Alistair Oldfield
Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Ophthalmology Clinical Director of Ophthalmology
BSc (Hons) BVSc Cert VOphthal MRCVS RCVSAlistair graduated from Bristol University in 1997 and joined the practice in 2002 after working for nearly five years at the PDSA clinic in Manchester. Clinically, his main interest lies in veterinary ophthalmology and after attaining his postgraduate certificate, he accepts referral ophthalmology cases from referring practices across the North West. He is the joint scientific program coordinator for the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Alistair and his wife Ruth have a young family, and outside work he enjoys skiing, golf and running.
Alison Rutter
Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Ophthalmology Clinical Director of Ophthalmology
BVetMed BSc (Hons) MRCVS PgC Ophthal PgC SAS RCVSAlison graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2008 and started her career at the RSPCA hospital in Manchester. After two years, she moved to a small animal A&E hospital, where she gained her postgraduate certificates in ophthalmology and surgery. She joined Woodcroft in October 2014. She has a particular interest in ophthalmology as it combines her interests in both medicine and surgery, as well as corneal surgery and the challenges of microsurgery. She enjoys time at home with her young family and when possible walking and running with her whippet, Maggie.
Heather Smith
Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Dermatology
MA VetMB CertVD MRCVSHeather graduated from Cambridge University in 1998 and over the years developed a particular interest in dermatology cases, choosing to advance her knowledge of the subject and completing a postgraduate certificate in veterinary dermatology, which she was awarded in 2008. She is passionate about all areas of dermatology including claws, ears and skin, and joined our dermatology referral team in 2017. She has also been awarded Advanced Practitioner Status by the RCVS which further recognises her expertise in her chosen field. Outside of work she owns an ex-racehorse called Winnie and regularly competes with her in dressage events.
Justyna Tabedzka
Certificate Holder in Small Animal Surgery
DVM Pg(SAS) PGCert(SAS) MRCVSJustyna worked as a veterinary surgeon in Poland for five years before relocating to the UK in 2013, and has worked at some of the country’s largest veterinary hospitals and referral centres before joining Woodcroft in 2021. She holds a postgraduate certificate in small animal surgery and is a part of our soft tissue surgical team. Outside work she enjoys climbing peaks, travelling with her partner or training hard for half marathons with friends. At home she has her running partner, Rosie the spaniel, and rescue cat Zuza, who Justyna performed life-saving surgery on, and has kept by her side ever since.
Dave Tymms
Certificate holder in Small Animal Surgery, Clinical Director of A&E
BVSc PGCertSAS MRCVSDavid graduated from Liverpool in 2004. He initially worked in a busy mixed practice in Preston, before giving up on farm animal work after breaking his back whilst calving a cow in 2008. He joined Woodcroft in 2010 and gained his surgery certificate in 2015. Alongside soft tissue surgery, he is responsible for emergency and critical care at the hospital. He lives with his wife, two young children, a cat, a hamster and ten stick insects. They enjoy spending time outdoors, camping and foraging for tasty mushrooms and plants.
Donald Wiggins
Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine
BVM&S CertSAD CertSAM MANZCVS (Medicine of Cats) ISFM Adv Cert FB MRCVS RCVSDonald graduated from Edinburgh University in 1983, and was a partner in Woodcroft from 1993 to 2016, when he decided to step down as a director to concentrate on his work as a veterinary surgeon. He has postgraduate certificates in dermatology and small animal medicine, adding another in medicine of cats in 2018, followed by the International Society of Feline Medicine Advanced Certificate of Feline Behaviour. His main interests are internal and feline medicine. Outside work, he has three rescue cats – Pablo, Binka and Maya – and Polly the whippet, who he enjoys walking, especially in Anglesey.
Alex Wilson
Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine
BVSc CertAVP(SAM) MRCVS RCVSFollowing her graduation from Bristol University in 2008, Alex spent four years working in charity practice for the RSPCA at the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. She then took up a role within a large private veterinary hospital practice, during which time she developed a keen interest in internal medicine. She joined Woodcroft Vets in April 2015 and has since studied for a postgraduate certificate in small animal medicine, as well as being recognised as an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in the field.
Emma Priestley
Group Head Nurse
RVNEmma is the Group Head Nurse for Woodcroft Veterinary Group
Heather Monk
Head Nurse
RVNHeather is one of our Head Nurses at Woodcroft Veterinary Hospital and assists the referral vets with their appointments and surgeries.
Gail Bagshaw-Wright
Group Head Nurse
NCert (Dent) NCert (Anaesth) RVNGail started at Woodcroft Veterinary Group in July 2000 and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2004.
From 2005 to 2019 she was the head nurse at our Handforth branch and during her time there she enjoyed the large variation in client facing work as well as hands on animal care. Here she also became very interested in dentistry when we began offering dental referrals out of the branch.
In 2017, Gail gained a nurses certificate in anaesthesia and then another in dentistry in 2019, leading her to move to our referral hospital In September 2019 where she is enjoying the variety of referral work and particularly dentistry.
In the beginning of 2021 Gail was given the role of head nurse alongside two of her colleagues and at the end of 2022 joined Emma in the role of Group Head Nurse, overseeing all of Woodcroft's nurses. She is very keen on RCVS practice standards and ensuring we are offering the best possible care.
Gail has 2 small children and in her spare time enjoys going for long walks with her mini explorers.Paula Bagshaw-Wright
Senior Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVN NCert(A&CC) Dip AVN VNCert ECCPaula started with us as a trainee back in 2002 and subsequently qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2008. After developing an interest in anaesthesia and critical care, she went on to achieve a nurse certificate in these areas in 2012. In 2016 she then completed her advanced veterinary nursing diploma and an additional Vets Now Nurses Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care in 2017.
Her keen interest in anaesthesia, especially of critical and complex cases; analgesia/pain management and orthopaedics is demonstrated through all of her professional development and she utilises her knowledge and skills by providing CPD to her fellow nurses.
Now Paula is mainly an orthopaedic nurse but often helps the soft tissue referral team and other referral disciplines
In her own time she enjoys mucking about with her 2 children, cycling, drawing and spending time with her family and friends.Helen Bent
Senior Registered Veterinary Nurse
BSc (Hons) RVN Dip AVNHelen joined us in December 2014 as a registered veterinary nurse at our Queens Road hospital before we moved to our Atlas House site in Cheadle Heath. Helen completed her BSc (Hons) veterinary nursing degree in 2013, qualifying her as a registered veterinary nurse (RVN).
Helen then spent 4 years leading the Ophthalmology team before becoming a Senior RVN for the group in 2021. She also achieved a Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing in 2020.
Helen really enjoys still being a part of the Ophthalmology team and her interests in anaesthesia.
In her spare time, she likes to walk her Lhasa Apso Hugo and baking delicious treats.Michaela Davies
Senior Registered Veterinary Nurse
DipAVN (Small Animal) Dip HE CVN RVNMichaela is a member of our nursing team and assists the referral vets with their appointments and surgeries.
Fiona Mahon
Head Veterinary Nurse
RVNFiona joined Woodcroft in 2018 after training and qualifying as a veterinary nurse at another practice. She now spends most of her time working alongside the internal medicine referral team in the hospital but also enjoys her time working with the hospital inpatient team and A&E department.
She is currently working towards a veterinary nursing certificate in small animal medicine to further develop her knowledge of the discipline.
In her spare time, Fiona enjoys going on long walks with her German Shepherd Obi and rock climbing.Suzanne Doyle
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNSuzanne joined us in October 2020 as a registered veterinary nurse at our referral hospital. She had previously trained as a registered veterinary nurse and qualified in 2018.
She now spends a lot of her time working alongside the cardiology team but also enjoys surgical and imaging referrals plus any time she gets to spend working in the A&E department.
Suzanne really enjoys feline behaviour and diagnostic imaging and would like to further her knowledge and understanding of them in the future.
In her spare time she enjoys walking, reading, spending time with her family and of course chocolate.Victoria Horrocks
Registered Veterinary Nurse
BSc RVNVicky joined us in August 2021 as a registered veterinary nurse at our referral hospital. She qualified in July 2019 from the University of Harper Adams with a Bachelor of Science.
She floats between departments to help gain experience in all areas of nursing but particularly enjoys her time in the hospital inpatient team and working with the soft tissue referrals team.
Vicky is currently working towards a post graduate certificate in surgery and hopes to apply what she learns to her time with the surgical teams.
In her spare time, Vicky walks rescue dogs that are awaiting homes and bakes for her friends, family and colleagues.Louisa Grimsley
Head Veterinary Nurse
BSc RVNLouisa is a Registered Veterinary Nurse and joined Woodcroft Vets 6 years ago, completed all of her training and qualified in 2018.
Even though Louisa is primarily at our Offerton branch, she does do some days at our hospital with the referral team and on the hospital ward. Louisa was promoted to head nurse in our Offerton practice in 2022.
In her free time, Louisa likes to spend time with her 2 horses who she used to compete, although now she just hacks them out.Sarah Gray
Registered Veterinary Nurse
BSc RVNSarah joined us back in 2008 as an apprentice at our Queens Road hospital and then qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2012. She now works primarily in the Ophthalmology referrals team at our hospital in Atlas House but does work in the A&E department on weekends assisting the vets with emergency care.
Sarah really enjoys client service and talking with pet owners about their animals. She also has an interest in anaesthesia and would like to further her knowledge and understanding of this subject in the future. Sarah has also completed a course in pet health and nutrition which helps her counsel clients.
In her spare time, she likes to walk her dogs with her son.Nicola Naylor
Senior Veterinary Nurse
RVN NCert (Anas)Nicola started working with Woodcroft back in 2007 and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2008. During her time she developed an interest in surgery which led to her joining the surgical team at our hospital, when we were based at Queens Road and now in our bigger hospital in Atlas House, Cheadle Heath.
This passion for surgery motivated Nicola to undertake a certificate in anaesthesia in 2014, which she has since used to assist our surgeons in offering the best care for patients undergoing soft tissue and orthopaedic surgeries, amongst other disciplines.
In her spare time Nicola enjoys spending time with her family of 2 children and 2 cavalier King Charles Spaniels. She enjoys walking, going to the gym and socialising with friends.Millie Liston
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNMillie is a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) and assists the referral vets with their appointments and surgeries.
Rose McMullan
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVN BSAVA Vet Nurse Merit Award in DermatologyRose joined Woodcroft Veterinary Group in 2008 and in her time with us has worked in most of our branches in a variety of nursing roles. Currently she works in the Dermatology department in our referral hospital in Cheadle Heath alongside our advanced practitioners. This suits her well as she has obtained a nursing certificate in dermatology. She also works in our A&E out of hours and at the weekend.
Outside of work she mostly enjoys going to the gym and taking care of her two children and a cheeky Jack Russell.Amy Adams
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNAmy joined us in 2017 as an apprentice at our Handforth branch and then in 2019 she moved to Woodcroft Veterinary Hospital when we relocated to our new home in Atlas House, Cheadle Heath. Amy completed her training and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2021.
She now spends a lot of her time working alongside the dental referrals team but also enjoys soft tissue referrals and any time she gets to spend work in emergency care in the A&E department.
In her spare time, Amy enjoys spending quality time with her cat Betty and going for long walks with her parents’ whippet Lilly. She doesn’t have much time for hobbies but does enjoy socialising with friends when she canCaitlin Atkinson
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNRegistered Veterinary Nurse
Eve Scanlan
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNEve is a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) and assists the referral vets with their appointments and surgeries.
Rachael Fairclough
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNRachael joined us in 2020 as a student veterinary nurse in our hospital. She completed her training and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in May 2021.
She now spends the majority of her time working alongside the dermatology referrals team but also enjoys assisting the internal medicine and surgical referrals teams. She will also help the emergency care team in A&E on a regular basis.
In her spare time, Rachael practices Iaido and likes to play Dungeons and Dragons with her friends every week. She also has a keen interest in wolves and has lived abroad, where she worked with rescued wolves that are kept as pets.Natasha McLelland
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNNatasha joined the Woodcroft team in 2016 as an apprentice at our Cheadle branch and then moved to our new hospital in 2019 where she qualified as a registered veterinary nurse.
She spends a lot of her time working alongside the orthopaedics team but also enjoys the other surgical referral disciplines and any time she gets to spend in emergency care with the A&E department.
Natasha really enjoys ‘scrubbing in’ for surgical procedures and performing advanced anaesthesia. This is something she would like to further her knowledge of in the future.
In her spare time Natasha likes to spend time with her horses and walking her dogs.Paula Gallimore
Registered Veterinary Nurse
RVNPaula joined us in 2017 doing part time hours working in our A&E department at Woodcroft Veterinary Hospital and then moved with us when the hospital relocated to Atlas House in Cheadle Heath. Paula was already a qualified veterinary nurse as she completed her studies in 2000.
She decided to join us full time in 2020 and since then has continued her work at the hospital in emergency care and more recently has been working alongside the Ophthalmology referrals team. Paula is currently working towards her certificate in Anaesthesia to further her knowledge on the subject and enable herself to assist our referrals team in more advanced procedures.
In her free time, Paula loves to spend time with her son Ronnie. They enjoy going on days out and spend lots of time at theme parks or at the beach. She also likes to go out with friends, swim and work out at the gym.Nicola White
Trainee Veterinary Nurse
Nicola joined us in 2019 as an apprentice at our hospital but has now progressed onto a veterinary nursing course. She spends a lot of her time working alongside the hospital inpatient team but also enjoys medicine referrals and any time she gets to spend with the emergency care team in our A&E department.
As Nicola loves caring for the inpatients in our hospital, she would like to develop her skills further in the future to assist us in providing the best possible care for those staying under our care.
In her free time, Nicola likes to take her dog our on adventures.Hannah Roberts
Modern Apprentice
Hannah joined us in September 2020 as an apprentice in our hospital. During her time with us so far, she has been working on her animal care course and is starting her veterinary nursing training in January 2022.
She now spends a lot of her time working alongside the Dental referrals team but also enjoys working the Orthopaedics team and any time she gets to spend working in emergency care. She also really enjoys scrubbing into surgeries where assistance is needed and would like to further her knowledge and understanding of this subject in the future.
In her spare time, Hannah loves to draw dog portraits and go on trips to Cornwall. She also enjoys walks on the beach in Wales, with her dog Teddy, an adorable Lhasa Apso and her family.Shannon Hanson
Trainee Veterinary Nurse
Shannon joined Woodcroft Veterinary Group in September 2020 as an apprentice at our Offerton branch and then at the hospital. She is currently studying towards becoming a registered veterinary nurse.
She spends a lot of her time helping the cardiology referrals team but does enjoy working with all of the referral disciplines, alongside any time she gets to spend in the A&E department.
Shannon really enjoys helping the other veterinary nurses to scrub in and would like to further her knowledge and understanding of surgery in the future.
In her free time, Shannon likes to walk her dog and visits Anglesey where she goes horse-riding and sailing.Sarah
Nursing Apprentice
Sarah joined Woodcroft Veterinary Group in March 2021 as an apprentice. She spends time at our hospital and sometimes our first opinion branches. When at the hospital, she moves around the disciplines but particularly enjoys her time in cardiology and working with the hospital team. She also enjoys helping the nurses and vets with soft tissue surgery and any time she gets to spend with the A&E team. She is looking to start her veterinary nurse training in 2022.
In her spare time Sarah enjoys going on hikes, going to the gym and looking after her hamster Rex.Karley Larsen
Head Receptionist
Francesca Nuttall
Nursing Apprentice
Fran joined us in June 2021 as an apprentice at our referral hospital. She mostly spends her time working alongside the surgical team but also enjoys assisting the Orthopaedics and Ophthalmology teams and any time spent working with the A&E team.
Fran enjoys studying about the biology of animals and is looking forward to furthering her knowledge in the future when she moves on to do a veterinary nursing qualification.
In her spare time she likes to draw, watch films and occasionally horse-riding.Jade Forster
Senior Receptionist
Jade is a senior receptionist at Woodcroft Veterinary hospital.
