Having made the rare transition from manufacturing technician to a degree apprentice in Orthotics, Lee Whitfield, who works for Newcastle-based, Peacocks Medical Group, is set to be recognised on the international stage.
Lecturers at Derby University, where he is studying, were so impressed by his work, that Lee, 38, originally from Jarrow and now living in Wallsend, was encouraged to put forward two technical presentations for the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) World Congress.
Both were reviewed and accepted by the ISPO and Lee will travel to Bangkok in March – with the full backing of Peacocks Medical Group – to showcase his work to medical specialists from across the globe.
Founded in 1903, Peacocks Medical Group supplies the NHS and private hospitals, clinics and surgeries with specialist, tailored surgical and medical equipment and with its expert Orthotists treating multiple orthopaedic conditions such as neuropathy, diabetes, hypermobility, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, pain management, elderly care and paediatrics.
Lee joined Peacocks 13 years ago as a manufacturing technician, learning how to turn an Orthotist’s prescription into a finished, custom-made device – a skilled craft that blends traditional hand skills with modern technology. His first five years focused on manufacturing splints in the plastics department. He then moved into a more clinical role for specialist wheelchair seating. He returned to the plastics department before switching into footwear, utilising CAD/CAM patterns to design footwear uppers.
In 2024, Lee was presented with an opportunity rarely seen in the sector, to move from a manufacturing role to study a degree apprenticeship in Orthotics.
David Stevens, CEO at Peacocks Medical Group, said: “We were thrilled to be able to transition Lee from manufacturing to a clinical role as an Orthotist. Essentially, once qualified, he will assess patients and design the very devices he used to make. That combination of clinical and manufacturing knowledge is very rare and puts patient care front and centre.
“We have little doubt that Lee’s advanced knowledge was immediately noticed by his lecturers at Derby University and hence the reason his outstanding insights are to be showcased at the ISPO World Congress. Lee is a key member of our team and we are incredibly pleased that he is representing the business in Bangkok next year.
“Every member of staff is provided with the opportunity to grow and flourish and we are particularly proud of our record of providing young people from our local communities with the opportunity to take up a range of apprenticeships across the business that can result in long term careers.”
Lee’s abstract presentations at the ISPO World Congress will be on two themes. The first will highlight the benefit of traditional footwear pattern design methods alongside newer CADCAM technologies in bespoke footwear design for complex foot shapes.
The second will highlight temporary options to provide solutions to complicated offloading requirements found in diabetic orthotic clinics while new insoles are manufactured. Temporary off-the-shelf insoles may not be suitable due to foot shape or presentation.
Peacocks Medical Group, which has recently opened a manufacturing facility in Sheffield, currently has seven apprentices, two in Orthotics, three in manufacturing and one in IT and finance. Since 2024, three manufacturing apprentices have qualified, 10 staff have undertaken work experience in the head office, 29 trainee technicians have been recruited straight into the factory to be trained in-house and there have been 21 clinical placements.
Lee said: “I am now in the third and final year of my degree and I am heavily involved in the clinical side of the business here at Peacocks Medical Group. I have been given great support by my company mentor, Gary Carden, who is the Trust Lead Orthotist for Sunderland and South Tyneside Healthcare Trust.
“Going back into studies after a break of ten years has not been easy and I also have a young family who need my time. However, I have adapted to work and study and have developed a routine that works for the business and my family.
“I have been given a wonderful opportunity to build a career as an Orthotist and I am currently shadowing senior colleagues within the business. The opportunity to speak at the ISOP World Congress is a true career highlight and I look forward to sharing my thought and recommendations with Orthotists from around the globe.”