Amy Gasson: Members Showcase

Amy Gasson, founder and director of Mint Wellbeing is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist with over 14 years’ experience working in the NHS and private sector. Here she tells us about her career to date and the importance of joining MSKPN.

“MSKPN has been a lifesaver.”

I love that the job is always changing, no day is the same

I always knew I wanted to set up a business and after 7 years working in the NHS I founded Mint Wellbeing. I thrive when faced with a challenge and love to see the development of our practice, encompassing a strong emphasis on our internal staff culture, the patients’ experience and high quality care from experienced clinicians.

I became a MSKPN member in the early months of Covid

I was told about MSKPN through a friend. It really was a lifeline, helping me navigate all those uncertain Covid months.

Everyone is in it together

We soon came to realise that no one knew what was going on and every day the legislation seemed to be changing.

The comradery in MSKPN is lovely

The support that everyone gives you is amazing. There is the WhatsApp group which is very useful but I have had plenty of 1:1 calls/messages with other business owners either giving them advice from my experiences or seeking their advice to help me with a problem I might be facing. This to me is invaluable.

As a growing business it provides support in many areas

One of our greatest needs is trying to get some acknowledgement from the big insurance companies that we’ve not even had an inflationary based fee rise for 6 years let alone a fee rise which matches current self-fund rates. Costs are rising across the board in so many areas. This is becoming the most depressing area of running a business but MSKPN is fighting our corner.

Data collection is a pressing need for us too

MSK data collection is a key focus for us going into 2024. As a small business, the cost associated with this remains a concern but collaborating with other MSKPN members to learn from their experiences is vital to help guide us.

Top 3 benefits of being part of MSKPN

The business support and webinar series are fantastic. My advice to other practice owners is to join.

It’s a wonderful organisation and I would recommend MSKPN – why wouldn’t you!

Read more about Amy’s early career and progress to date …

At school I couldn’t imagine life in an office

I opted to study physiotherapy, gaining my BSc in 2009 from the University of Southampton. After completing my junior rotations at Solent NHS trust I gained senior positions at some of London’s leading hospitals including the prestigious Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (St Mary’s and Charing Cross Hospitals).

I completed my masters in 2014

I returned to university to complete an MSc in Advanced Neuromusculoskeletal Physiotherapy with MACP accreditation at King’s College London, passing with distinction. I used data from the Shoulder Instability service at Stanmore to inform my master’s dissertation. Following this I gained a team leader position at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Shoulders are my key area of clinicial interest
I have gained extensive knowledge in the management of complex MSK, sports injuries, shoulder rehabilitation including recurrent shoulder instability, elective and trauma orthopaedic surgery rehabilitation and pain management.

I’m a very determined person

I wasn’t very good at school sports as they all required you to be hitting or throwing balls around! However, at university I found that I was really good at endurance sports, joining the senior rowing team and after uni taking part in marathons, ultra marathons and triathlons.

One of my biggest life achievements was coming 2nd in the Jungle Ultra Marathon.

In 2014 I ran a 275km race over 7 days in the Amazon jungle. Despite the overall fitness of those around me, success was largely attributed to a positive attitude, grit and determination, qualities that have proven invaluable in managing my business.

I set up my own private practice, Mint Wellbeing in 2016

I reached a point in my career where I had to decide between moving into advanced NHS clinical roles or venturing into a new domain. Having always aspired to set up and run a business this was the route I took and started Mint on my own in June 2016.

I was locuming part time whilst building my business up from scratch

After part time room rentals I took on a full time space in a Gym in Wimbledon in 2018. In 2021, through mutual friends, I formed a partnership with Joint Dynamics. In 2022 this enabled investment into a large 6 room clinic with a big rehab gym space. We now have 7 full and parttime physios, 2 part-time strength and conditioning coaches, a massage and Pilates instructor and a four-strong part-time admin/manager team.

I’m proud of the reputation we’ve built with local consultants and the community

We have a large word of mouth referral base which is testament to the care and experience we provide. Additionally, consultants often send patients to us for a second opinion.

All of this is whilst managing a very young family!

As a female business owner it can be hard to juggle everything. I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old and it is due to my fantastic team as well as having strong processes and systems in place that I am currently managing to take a few months of maternity leave (ish!).

Learn more at http://www.mskpn.co.uk

Download Amy’s showcase here: Amy Gasson Members showcase