We’ve been providing placements for doctors to develop their training for a number of years and there have been many benefits. Our doctors offer good feedback to those placed with us and, of course, the Hospice gets the benefit of the service the Junior Doctors provide through our in-patient unit and community services. When the trainees move on, they take with them the principles of good palliative and end of life care and also improved relationships, especially when GP trainees take up permanent roles locally.
We met with three Junior Doctors who shared their experiences with us.
Ben Russell, Foundation 1 Doctor, (pictured above) said, “I’ve really enjoyed my time. I’ve seen a completely different aspect of healthcare, of the system that I think a lot of people don’t get to experience, but I wish that a lot more people could, in terms patient care in the community, talking about death and dying, and supporting patients around death and dying. This doesn’t really get spoken about or dealt with in the hospital setting as much, so it’s really given us an exposure to a completely different aspect of clinical medicine that I have never really seen before and I don’t think I would have otherwise.”
Yasmin Alagaratnam, Foundation 1 Doctor, (pictured above) added, “The Hospice is a very different environment. You’ve got the beautiful grounds that patients and family can see and you just have a bit more time with all of the patients. It’s a lot more holistic. We’re thinking about the patients’ spiritual, mental, emotional needs and the needs of their family members and loved ones. We’re not just treating the physical symptoms – it’s more about looking at the person as a whole.”
Dalyop Dalyop, a GP Trainee, (pictured below) reflected on the team spirit he experienced during his time with the Hospice. He recalls, “I’ll never forget the compassion to patients and the support that the Hospice shows to colleagues. Not for one day have I ever been left on my own to feel unsupported. There’s always someone who is willing to listen to you. My confidence in managing patient symptoms has really improved and I feel able to confidently manage patients coming to me with pain, nausea or breathlessness.”
Dalyop continued, “When I leave I’ll miss the oneness between the team and the support they always give to one another – and the cakes they bring me every now and then!”
Our Medical Director, David Barclay, oversees our Junior Doctor programme, offering advice and support to the individuals throughout their time with us. He said, “Supporting doctors in training is one of the aspects of being a consultant I personally enjoy the most and, although it involves a lot of commitment on our part, to see an individual grow in confidence is very rewarding. Hearing that their experience impacts on their care of patients near the end of life in other settings is reason enough to know having those opportunities at the Hospice is an important part of our purpose and goals.”
