Grant Plumbley

Grant first gained a Bachelor of Physical Education degree from Otago University in 1987, then a Diploma of Physiotherapy from Otago Polytechnic in 1990, and finally completed his Masters at Massey University in 2018.  

Since 1991 he has gained extensive experience as a physiotherapist in the performance, sports, and occupational health sectors across the world;

• on rotation at Wellington Hospital 1991-1992.
• at Wellington Sports Med.
• as a civilian in the rehabilitation of Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force personnel in London.
• on-site at Shell International and Shell UK.
• toured the world with Riverdance - The Show from 1997 to 1999.
• at BUPA Wellness Musculoskeletal Centre of Excellence in the City of London from 1999 to 2005.
• on-site at Nomura Holdings, and Morgan Stanley in Canary Wharf.  
• BUPA National Physiotherapy Manager in 2004 - 2005, with clinical responsibility for a team of 30 physiotherapists.
• 1st team squad Physiotherapist at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in 2005/06 and 2006/07.
• 2000-2007 worked with Olympic Heavyweight boxing champion Audley Harrison.

He returned to New Zealand with his young family in 2007.  Bringing with him a great working knowledge of discomfort, pain and injury within the performance, work, and sport situations.

Grant has developed excellent assessment skills and a wide variety of treatment techniques – using education, reassurance, mobilisation, manipulation, soft tissue release techniques, acupuncture and specific exercises and rehabilitation. He is a problem solver and will do everything necessary to ensure your issue is fully worked up and understood. His experience as National Physiotherapy Manager for BUPA in the UK, also gave him valuable experience in the clinical governance demands associated with a large musculoskeletal clinic.

Grant works as our Clinical Director / Clinical Governance Manager and has responsibility to ensure that we continue to meet and exceed the clinical standards required for HDANZ accreditation, and our contracts with ACC. He performs notes audits, ensures we have evidence informed and acceptable care pathways, contributes to our ongoing CPD program, mentors our younger therapists, reviews complex claims and provides second opinions, he also assesses and manages concussion, assists with vocational rehabilitation, training for independence and pain, advises on policy and procedures, delivers seminars, and investigates complaints.

He supports the collection and collation of clinical outcomes to provide patient centred subjective and objective measures of our effectiveness, and advocates strongly for the greater utilisation of local private physiotherapy clinics by the public health sector.  To facilitate the more immediate and closer to home care of musculoskeletal discomfort, pain and injuries to improve health and quality of life within our communities.

Grant was invited and represented the community allied health sector within the clinical council of the CCDHB, and  elected onto the BoT of the local primary school. He has also regularly contributes to various projects for Physiotherapy New Zealand and sits on Professional Competency Committees for the Physiotherapy Board of NZ.