9th November 2015

Olympic Gold Medallist opens MRI

Lots of news this week: starting with the opening of the new MRI scanner at Ashford. You may have seen my pics of it going up in a matter of days: well it's been up and running since 19th October and on Tuesday it was formally opened by double Olympic sailing gold medalist Sarah Ayton OBE @sarahayton, here with CEO Suzanne Rankin @suzrankin

Sarah was born in Ashford Hospital, learned to sail on Staines reservoir and has even had a head MRI after a bump with a boom so the perfect person to declare the new machine ready for action. It did raise the hilarious conundrum of how to ceremoniously cut the red ribbon if you can't take scissors into the magnet but that was neatly solved...

...by moving the ribbon...

Blowing our T&O trumpet

Hugely proud of Arshad Khaleel and the trainees he has energised with his infectious enthusiasm achieving FIVE podium presentation of their research projects at the British Trauma Society Meeting in Keele this week. Persuaded Arshad to take a @britishtrauma selfie with Ankit Desai @ankdes1 and Rob Boyd @mrbobramsay

This is an incredible achievement: our trainees are not only working their maximum hours to provide excellent patient care but they are also studying for exams AND putting the hours in on projects such as these. Immense.

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

I am BURSTING with pride for our Core Surgical Trainees: Every Single One of them who sat the MRCS B exam PASSED!

Huge congratulations to our junior doctors who have now shed that 'Dr' to become 'Miss' and 'Mr': Sophie, Dan, Kamran and Asad. Will do more on this next blog, but couldn't wait to share the glorious news as it broke Friday.

Surgeon(s) of the Week

Not long now before we formally fuse with the Royal Surrey @royalsurrey but close links have existed for years between the surgical specialities of both hospitals and this week Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mike Lemon was the latest to come up the A3 to join with our own Paul Trikha in an exciting procedure, a meniscal transplant. 

Forthcoming Attractions

The date is set: the @HE_KSS Regional Heat of 'Are You Cut Out For It?' will be on Thursday December 3rd at 6pm in the Fracture Clinic of the Rowley Bristow Unit. All CT2s can enter and the winners will go forward to the @RCSNews Final where first prize is £1,000

And finally...

It's been a strange week for surprise emails. The GMC has written to us all regarding potential industrial action and some junior doctors have had a letter from Jeremy Hunt inserted into their eportfolio mailboxes (@JRCPTB are investigating as there could be a data breach). I add here the generous and thoughtful letter written by Professor Pandit, Chair of the Oxford Medical Staff Cttee. I hope it reproduces but if not, it is on twitter and I hope you take strength from it: https://twitter.com/doctor_oxford/status/662317129891467264