“I love water and, since learning to swim when I was seven, I don’t think I have ever been away from it! The amazing effects that hydrotherapy treatment has on the day to day lives of all our patients can never be underestimated. Seeing pain disappear and people's function and ability return and remain, before your very eyes due to the water, is the most inspiring and life changing part of why I love my job. As a physiotherapist I am humbled by our patients and the commitment and effort they put into being the best they can be, with our help.

I am extremely proud to have such a brilliant team working with me, all with the same passion for the water as myself, providing the very best individual hydrotherapy treatment possible to all of our patients.”

Annette's passion for water started as a young girl, swimming competitively in county level competitions until she was 18 and now continuing her swimming for pleasure. After a knee injury aged 13, she was inspired by her physiotherapist and the treatment, so decided that physiotherapy was the career for her. Annette qualified in 1984 from Oswestry & North Staffordshire School of Physiotherapy. The use of Hydrotherapy during training at the Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital made Annette realise the incredible benefits gained within the hydrotherapy setting to all patients and, once qualified, went on to further her hydrotherapy qualifications with the 'Bath Certificate'.

Annette worked as a Physiotherapist within the NHS for 10 years at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and then Manchester Royal Infirmary gaining experience in all areas of physiotherapy before specialising in Hydrotherapy and Outpatients.

Private Practice was the next step, leading to the setting up of Annette Turner Hydrotherapy, Hydromobility Ltd in 1999. Starting out as a sole physiotherapist and assistant, it soon became evident that there was a big need for a specialised physiotherapy practice in the North West and so the practice has grown to what it is today, providing the best care and full rehabilitation treatment to a vast group of patients with varying needs and goals. We welcome all ages and abilities and embrace the opportunity to be able to help make a difference to life and living, using water and its many properties.

Annette was a founding member of the HACP (now the ATACP - Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists) which was set up with an aim of continuing professional development of Hydrotherapy / Aquatic Therapy within the physiotherapy profession and promoting awareness of Hydrotherapy to other healthcare professionals. She has remained actively involved with this group and is an accredited Aquatic Therapy Tutor delivering the foundation CSP Aquatic Therapy course to postgraduate therapists as well as an examiner and clinical mentor for the ATACP accreditation process. Annette also provides individualised Aquatic Therapy training at an intermediate and advanced level as well as consultancy on pool build and design.

Annette is married with two grown up children and 2 Tibetan Terrier dogs and enjoys walking, hiking, swimming, DIY, gardening and skiing. 

Louise Foster

 PHYSIOTHERAPIST

"I love the freedom and independence that moving in water gives to everybody, young or old "

Louise  initially completed her BSc (Hons) in Psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University in 2007 and following this started working as a support worker, working with people with neurological conditions. Part of this job involved assisting people to attend hydrotherapy and physiotherapy appointments, which is where she met Annette and her team and discovered an interest in physiotherapy. 

She began working with Annette alongside studying for her physiotherapy BSc (Hons) degree, which she completed in 2018 at the University of Salford. 

Louise then worked at the Neuromuscular Centre for 4 years, a charity for adults with lifelong neuromuscular conditions, such as muscular dystrophy, CMT, IBM, and SMA. During her time at the NMC she completed the AACP Foundation Course and became qualified in acupuncture, an area of physiotherapy she is fascinated by and has subsequently had work in this field published in a national journal. 

Louise has also worked privately for the last 2 years in the paediatric field focusing on children with neurological conditions providing treatment in  hydrotherapy, in a gym setting or at their homes. Paediatrics is an area she finds particularly rewarding and hugely enjoyable.

Away from physiotherapy Louise loves adventuring outdoors with her young family and  French Bulldog, and attending live music events. 

Emma Manners

“As a physiotherapist giving people the ability to regain their independence and rehabilitate from illness or injury is the essence of my role...which I love! Being back in the water adds another dynamic dimension to my practice, enabling individuals to achieve goals and a freedom that many thought were impossible!”

Mike has always felt an affinity for water, swimming competitively throughout his childhood and teenage years and later qualifying as a 'Divemaster' and working in a SCUBA diving centre in his twenties. He has just started on a volunteer programme at his local leisure centre assisting swimming teachers to teach young children, and will gain his level 1 and 2 teacher's qualifications as part of the process. Mike qualified as a physiotherapist in Manchester in 2011

and worked for two years in a hospital inpatient setting gaining experience in the fields of orthopaedics, neurology and cardiorespiratory. Since then he has gained extensive experience in post-op orthopaedics and acute musculoskeletal therapy in a variety of settings including a rugby club, private hospitals, private clinics and corporate occupational health clinics. 

He has worked in a number of occupational health settings, working to develop injury prevention strategies as well as treating companies' employees. He returned to a private hospital setting in Manchester, working in an outpatient setting and gaining extensive experience and expertise in post-op orthopaedic surgery rehabilitation and further acute musculoskeletal work. During this time Mike completed the hydrotherapy course with Annette and loved it but was frustrated because his role only allowed him very limited time to work with patients in the pool. In July 2017 an opportunity arose to work with Annette's team, allowing him to work regularly in the water while still keeping up his land-based work.

Mike takes a patient centred approach, always looking to tailor treatment to an individual's lifestyle to give them the best chance of self-managing their rehab, condition or injury. Mike is married and has a little girl. He is interested in climbing, skiing, football and SCUBA diving as well as music and cooking.

Love for Hydro

From being a young child I have always loved being in the water. There is nothing like the water to give us freedom of movement. So much of what I have done in my life has been water based, from competitive swimming, to SCUBA diving to hydrotherapy, to teaching swimming.

The hydrotherapy pool is such a fantastic environment to treat patients because it allows people of all ages and abilities to manoeuvre into positions they would never be able to on land. We can use the water in so many ways as therapists to help our patients, such as to find comfort, support and relaxation to release restrictions and tension from the body, or to use as resistance to work hard against to build strength, or to use almost as a safety net to re-train balance and walking ability without any fear of falling. 

Rebecca Gracie

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

“The improvements seen in people’s physical and emotional well being with mobilising and exercising in the warm water is remarkable.”

Rebecca graduated in 2001, from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, with a 1st Class BSc Honours degree in Physiotherapy. After gaining a broad base of clinical experience by working within various public and private sectors in both the UK & New Zealand in the fields of Neurological, Musculoskeletal & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, she ran her own private practice in Greater Manchester for almost 10 years. She then carried out work as an AposTherapist, specialising in the rehabilitation of patients with lower limb disorders, before joining the team at Annette Turner Hydrotherapy. 

Rebecca also worked as a Functional Capacity Assessor for ten years for an independent company specialising in the rehabilitation of physical disorders in relation to functional and workplace capabilities. She has recently returned to this line of work alongside being a hydrotherapist. 

Love for Hydro

Working as a hydrotherapist is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding times in Rebecca’s career as a Chartered Physiotherapist. Helping people manage their conditions in such a relaxing and therapeutic environment makes each treatment session a positive experience for both the therapist and the patient; using the properties of water to bring about physical changes in the body is fascinating. 

Emma Smith

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

"The opportunity to work in the water to see the amazing difference it makes for our patients makes my work as a physiotherapist so exciting"

Emma's passion for the water began as a child where she swam competitively during her school years and later worked as a lifeguard during sixth form and her gap year.

She completed her Physiotherapy BSc honours degree at Southampton University in 2009, and worked as a support worker for young adults with complex learning needs whilst at university.

Following graduation, Emma worked within the Southampton learning disabilities team working with people with multiple physical and mental health conditions. She spent most of her days in the pool providing hydrotherapy and water based exercises, and she discovered her passion for water-based physiotherapy.

Emma moved to Manchester in 2011. She has completed many rotations gaining experience within areas including respiratory, burns and plastics, amputee rehabilitation, orthopaedics, MSK and infectious diseases as a junior and senior physiotherapist, and gained a particular interest in rehabilitation and neurology.

Emma has completed the introductory foundation Bobath and upper limb courses, and has worked within the brain and spine injury unit in Rochdale as well as hospital and community stroke teams in Bury and in South Manchester.

She has also completed a master's module at Manchester Metropolitan University on Stroke management.

Outside of physiotherapy life, Emma has a young family, and loves spending time with all her family. She loves swimming and the outdoor life, from snowboarding to paddleboarding, and also enjoys languages.

Xavier Nguyen

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

""Hydro is different. Treating patients in water means that you're working with a different set of rules, you have a different set of problems and a lot of different opportunities and strategies to try that can't be explored on land. It keeps me on my toes and there's something to be said about trying to resolve an issue from a different angle." 

Xavier initially volunteered at a local NHS trust when he was 16 and worked with patients with Parkinson's Disease. After a while, he joined that hospital as an assistant working weekends on the Trauma and Orthopaedic wards whilst studying to become a Physiotherapist.

After completing his BSc honours degree at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2013, Xavier returned to his NHS trust as a rotational physiotherapist developing respiratory skills as well as specific rehab skills in the differing areas of general wards, intensive care units and stroke units.

Xavier eventually settled in the MSK (Musculoskeletal) outpatients department in 2016 where he got his first proper experience of aquatic therapy and has refused to leave ever since. During this time, he developed special interest in CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) and completed courses with the Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Xavier has continued to develop the hydrotherapy service within the NHS trust and is now clinical lead at the same trust he started out at as an assistant.

Xavier met Annette during a training course and wanting to continue to be able to use his skills and passion for hydrotherapy joined the team at Hydromobility. Xavier brings with him a wealth of knowledge and a love for hydrotherapy that will benefit all of our clients. 

Outside of work, Xavier enjoys both the indoors and outdoors and could quite happily be riding down the muddiest terrain on his bike or be nice and dry and figuring out a new food recipe to cook. 

Liz Wilson

PRACTICE MANAGER / ASSISTANT

Liz has worked for over 25 years in various administrative and customer advisor roles in the banking sector. She has also run her own business as a sub-postmistress - communication and customer care are her specialities. Liz brought all these skills with her when she came to the practice and as first contact with our patients is able to make the whole hydrotherapy and physiotherapy experience a positive one, giving patients the care, attention and time they need to sort out anything relating to their treatment and beyond! 

Liz uses her experience to help efficiently run the unit and to make your hydrotherapy experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible, from your arrival to the completion of your treatment. Throughout all your treatment, should you need any advice or help she will always be available either by phone or email, as well as at poolside. Liz is an assistant member of the CSP and has also completed the Foundation Aquatic Therapy course and has all the necessary handling skills to assist the physiotherapists, joining you in the pool if required.

Everyone will benefit from Liz’s cheery disposition, positivity and love of life.