Our Expert Multidisciplinary Team
Our team brings together a wealth of clinical expertise in weight management, combining over five decades of experience across the NHS and specialist services. We are proud to offer a collaborative, evidence-based approach to care, delivered by:
- Two Registered Specialist Nurses, each with over 15 years’ experience supporting individuals in specialist weight management services
- A General Practitioner (GP) with an Extended Role in Obesity and Weight Management, offering advanced clinical oversight and prescribing
- A Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience in behaviour change and psychological support related to weight and wellbeing
- A Specialist Dietitian with extensive experience in nutritional management for people living with overweight and obesity
This blend of medical, psychological, and nutritional expertise allows us to offer truly holistic, patient-centred care.
Lisa Crawford
Weight Management Nurse Specialist
Lisa is a highly experienced registered nurse. She studied Community nursing and public health in Plymouth following a career in midwifery. Lisa has over 17 years of experience working in weight management services with patients including those undergoing bariatric surgery and living with bariatric surgery.
Lisa is a qualified counsellor (BACP) with a special interest in emotional eating and mindfulness. She gained an advanced diploma in integrative counselling which she studied in Exeter.
Lisa is highly experienced in delivering emotional eating groups and working 1-2-1 to help people understand and develop skills to manage emotional eating.
“Weight management is extremely complex, and it is not our fault that so many of us struggle to regulate our eating behaviour and weight.
I am passionate about helping people to make an informed choice about their treatment options and figure out the right decision which fits with your unique set of circumstances. I support people with kindness, warmth and compassion and aim to guide you to understand and develop skills to manage your weight.
Outside of my nursing role, the things which are most important to me are my family, my dog and my bike. I spend a lot of time outdoors which is great for my mental health and wellbeing.
I care deeply about making a meaningful difference to people’s lives and look forward to meeting you during your journey with weight management.”
Sarah Hind
Weight Management Nurse Specialist
Sarah is a registered nurse, having qualified in 1989 at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. She spent the first half of her career mainly working in and around London in Women’s health and Fertility Services.
After deciding to return to her hometown of Plymouth with her family 20 years ago, she began working in the field of weight management. As service lead, she was integral to setting up the NHS Specialist Weight Management Service in Plymouth in 2006. She has very much enjoyed working with people living with obesity over the last 18 years and is proud of her work in developing and managing Plymouth’s Tier 3 service.
Sarah brings a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge to our team.
“I find it particularly rewarding when people realise that what can feel like small changes to their diet, activity levels or how they think or feel about themselves, can actually have a significant, positive impact over time. It doesn’t have to be everything all at once! It’s also important to be realistic about your goals. It’s usually much better to lose some weight, be a bit more active and be able to maintain this long term than set goals which are unsustainable.”
Dr Natasha Vanstone
GP with an Extended Role in Obesity & Weight Management BSc (Hons), MBChB, DCH, MRCGP(2012), PGDip in Obesity & Weight Management
Natasha graduated from Leicester Warwick Medical School in 2006 and has been working as a GP in the Southwest since completing her GP training in Cornwall in 2012. She has worked in multiple practices throughout Cornwall, Exeter & Plymouth.
Her interest in weight management arose from wanting to provide the best evidence-based care for her patients living with obesity in primary care. This led her to undertake a postgraduate diploma in obesity and weight management, completed in 2022. She then gained valuable clinical and organisational experience by working within Plymouth’s Tier 3 specialist weight management service.
She is keen to raise awareness among healthcare professionals that obesity is a chronic, complex, relapsing disease that requires lifelong, individualised management.
Alongside her role in Sentinel’s Weight Management Service, Natasha still works as a local NHS GP when she isn’t walking her dog or ferrying her kids around Plymouth.
“Weight is often a difficult subject to approach for both clinician and patient. It’s important to acknowledge the stigma and weight bias that exists within healthcare to make the necessary changes to improve patient care. I am passionate about improving recognition of obesity as a chronic condition. Medical advances make it an exciting time to be working in this field.”
Ciara Caleshu
Specialist Dietitian - BSc (Hons) Dietetics (2017), H.Dip. Food Science and Nutrition (1996), University College Cork, BSc Science (1995) University of Galway
Ciara qualified as a dietitian in 2017 from the University of Plymouth and has since gained extensive experience in weight management, bariatric surgery, nutrition support, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and diabetes care. She has completed training in Behaviour Change and Motivational Interviewing and enjoys using these skills to work collaboratively with individuals—helping them identify realistic dietary and lifestyle changes to support their health.
Ciara has considerable experience delivering group education sessions and enjoys giving talks on nutrition and wellness. She currently works as a Specialist Bariatric Dietitian for the NHS, where she consults with patients considering weight loss surgery, guiding them through preparation and the life-changing dietary and lifestyle adjustments required. After surgery, she provides one-to-one follow-up support to ensure patients meet their nutritional needs while working towards their weight loss goals.
Additionally, Ciara is trained in the low FODMAP diet to support individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
