My name is Fiona Hopkins, I qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1984 at St George’s Hospital and in 1986 as a Registered Mental Nurse at Guy’s Hospital, London. Since then gained experience in many areas of nursing including 16 years as a twilight community nurse.

After a short break in practice I returned to nursing and worked within Palliative Care. This is where I developed an interest in lymphoedema after caring for patients with swollen limbs (lymphoedema). I completed the lymphoedema: Principles and Practice module at the Royal Marsden London and gained skills in this area. This enabled me to work as a Lymphoedema Nurse Specialist within NHS lymphoedema clinics, which I continue to do today.

I qualified with the Lymphoedema Training Academy (LTA) in Fluoroscopy-Guided Manual lymphatic drainage (FG-MLD) using the ‘Fill and Flush’ technique. Professor JP Belgrado (University of Brussels) developed the FG-MLD using the ‘Fill and Flush’ technique. Using fluoroscopy he was able see the lymphatic vessels under the skin to devise an efficient method of hand movements to move lymphatic fluid in the tissues.

I also trained with Emma Holly and became a Restore Scar Therapy practitioner, a holistic approach to treating scars following surgery or trauma. I furthered my skills to become a Restore Oncology Scar specialist and these skills work hand in hand with Lymphoedema management to improve patient outcomes.

I have worked with Lipoedema patients since 2020 in an NHS setting and since completed the specialist Lipoedema management course with the LTA, covering the theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in a assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Lipoedema.

I can treat patients at home or in the clinic, whether self-referred or referred by their NHS GP, Consultant or Specialist Nurse.