7th December 2015

'Are You Cut Out For It?'

This week saw the @HE_KSS heat of the Royal College of Surgeons @RCSnews competition for second year Core Trainees. Each LETB (formerly known as 'Deanery') holds heats with the winners going to the College in February for the Finals and the chance to win the first prize of £1,000.

This is a surgical skills-based competition, with competitors demonstrating suturing, knot-tying, excision of lesions & closure of defects and laparoscopic dexterity skills: here our own Aphiwat Luangsomboon stacks sugar cubes to the amusement of Sachin Agrawal

Thanks to everyone who came out on a windy Thursday night to Fracture Clinic at the Rowley Bristow. It was a tough call to judge, with the range of scores being very tight, but winners we had and congratulations to first prize winner Ana Borges...

... and runner-up Jennifer Caswell...

...who received their certificates from Bill Dunsmuir and will go forward to represent our LETB at the Finals.

Huge thanks to the judges who gave up their free time to support this event: Bill Dunsmuir, Sachin Agrawal, Holly Ni Raghallaigh (@UncleHester) and Ben Carrick. Thanks too to Sophie Wrigley @sophiehfwrigley and Christian Asher @marshaisic who were magnificent in helping set up and pack away afterwards.

Tuesday's Day of Action

Preparations for potential industrial action were incredible and very organised. On the day itself of course, junior doctors were working as negotiations brokered by ACAS were underway. Theatre lists had already been stood down, which left some surgeons with an incredible opportunity to get together, brainstorm, and take the time to talk through plans and strategies not only for CCG-related projects but also interdisciplinary issues such as rotas and training.

It is so rare to have the time to sit down with colleagues both clinical and managerial (here above with ADO Cathy Parsons @cparsons007 and Associate Divisional Director Paul Trikha @surreyknee): three ad hoc meetings later I felt I achieved more in that one day than in months of emails.

Changeover Wednesday 

Wednesday morning was given over to Departmental Induction. Four months goes by so quickly, doesn't it: we welcomed some new faces to T&O

They will benefit from the hard work put in by previous trainees Emily Decker @emilydecker1, Seok Cho @YSeokC & Sophie Wrigley @sophiehfwrigley who have sat down with us to construct a weekly service plan that should provide that elusive balance of continuity and education. I'm a firm believer that the doctors happiest with their rotas are those who have gotten a grip of it themselves.

We covered a huge range of topics including Consent training, Unit structure,  pre-assessment - not to worry, it can be found on Trustnet including the surgical handbook, for reference.

 

Surgeon of the Week

This week it is my pleasure to introduce Magdy Moawad, see here on the left, with fellow Consultant Vascular Surgeon AJ Jibawi

Magdy is a fantastic support to me in educational projects and at Surgical LFG. Until his arrival we had very little input from Vascular Surgery at all. Now he, AJ @abdjibawi and Barun Majumder @barunmajumder have elevated the educational profile of their speciality in the hospital: wonderful

Forthcoming Attractions

On Friday, @ASPHFT host the Regional Speciality Study Day in T&O. We have some interactive talks lined up as well as a practical saw bones session. This event is for @HE_KSS Core trainees but if you are an ASPHFT junior doctor faintly interested in a T&O taster, you are more than welcome. At lunchtime I will be holding a "Portfolio Clinic" - if you would like me to cast an eye over yours, do bring it along 

And finally...

Can't help myself: LOVE seeing St Peter's in print!!!

23rd November 2015

Junior Doctors Industrial Action

On Thursday I was in the College @RCSNews at the Surgical Tutors Conference (listening to Bruce Keogh as it happens) when all our phones started buzzing with the news of the strike ballot result. 

Bearing in mind all the speakers in that room were politicians (medical politicians is no different from the regular sort) I was surprised at what they said in that room was at odds with what they put out in public. For example, the President of the RCS @claremarx described the leadership at the Dept of Health behaving with "ineptitude" and Sir Bruce Keogh deeply regretted ever saying "7/7 working" when what he meant was services should be available 7/7, that the SoS was "obsessed" with calling excess deaths "unnecessary deaths" and of the 11,000 deaths described that way, only about 4% were truly avoidable. 

So I was shocked to read the pre-prepared letter to the Press @DrBruceKeogh put out whilst he was talking to us suggesting that given the events in Paris he was concerned striking doctors might not react appropriately. It was utterly contrary to how he spoke with us and I still can't get my head round it.

We're on your side

Feedback in the room was strongly supportive of junior doctors and whilst everybody wants negotiations without threats, I want you to know that Consultant Surgeons support you. Stella Vig @svig2 Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Croydon organised this letter (which I am proud to have signed) published in the Sunday Times (paywall) http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/comment/regulars/lettersandemails/article1635488.ece

Well over 1,500 Consultant Surgeons have put their name to it and more are adding every day.

I have circulated this letter to my fellow LFG members, but if you are a Consultant Surgeon and would like to add you name or, if you are a junior doctor who would like to read this letter of support or, if you just want a cogent, compelling account of Why the imposed contract is all wrong, the letter is here: Open Letter to Rt Hon MP Jeremy Hunt Voicing Concerns- from Consultant Surgeons 

Irritation of the Week

Every time I go to the College, this 'painting' outside the Lecture Theatre deeply annoys me:

It portrays the Council of RCS England when Bernard Ribeiro was Prez, so 2005-2008. It can be summed up as Pale, Male and Stale: two women and two faces of colour amongst the 29 heads.

Come on people. This does not represent me or My College. Four seats are up for election so colleagues - go for it. Some serious shaking up is required. And I hope this alleged painting becomes an historical oddity to be embarrassed about.

A New Surgeon Starts

A big @ASPHFT welcome to new starter Mr Rajesh Jain. 

Rajesh (left) is a Bariatric Surgeon and joins Sameer Humadi (centre) and Shashi Irukulla (right) in developing the Bariatric practice that Ashford Hospital is becoming renowned for.

Surgeon of the Week

Whilst we're on the topic of Bariatric Surgery, it is my pleasure to introduce Sameer Humadi, see here with the gorgeous Sr Louella Madrid Gabitas

Sam Humadi is an upper GI surgeon but with a focus on Bariatric Surgery. Ashford Hospiral has a really successful reputation in this field.

Forthcoming Attractions

Hard I know to keep focus when the first Doctors' Strike in 40 years is looming so another shameless plug for the Surgical Skills' Competition 'Are You Cut Out For It' two days after the planned first day of action.

I'm also running the Regional Training Day in T&O on December 11th where at lunchtime I will be holding  a "Portfolio Clinic" in prep for CST & HST interviews.

16th November 2015

MRCS Success

Huge congratulations to four @HEKSSSpeciality Core Trainees who sat the MRCS B: Sophie @sophiehfwrigley and Asad... 

... Kamran and Dan ...

Stunning results all round. The best part of getting that test out of the way is now you can enjoy the job, the experience of being a surgeon. Well done.

More success...

Last post, I told you we had no less than FIVE podium presentations at @britishtrauma British Trauma Society 2015 Meeting. 

The paper by Zu Nawaz, Sophie Wrigley and Arshad Khaleel "Follow up of 810 consecutive Ti-HA coated uncemented stem hemiarthroplasties" won First Prize as Best Clinical Presentation! Fantastic achievement, so pleased for you all

LNC Meeting

This week saw one of the quarterly meetings of the Local Negotiating Committee (LNC). LNCs are made up of elected local representatives who negotiate – and have the authority to make collective agreements – with local management on behalf of medical and dental staff of all grades. 

This group is not just made up of senior medical staff and BMA rep Cathy Taylor, but also your junior doctor representatives: Dominique, Beatrix @beatrixlv and Holly @unclehester

It was good to hear at the meeting that the Chief Operating Officer Bob Peet @bobpeet1 has started gathering senior managers and consultants to plan safe staffing dependent on how @theBMA vote turns out. 

Another important issue discussed was Diary Carding, just entering its second week. I cannot stress how important it is that these cards are filled in accurately. 

The Trust cannot change staffing levels or improve workloads without data, so this is key. If you overstay your shift time, you must, must ring your consultant. The reason for this is that every morning, the consultant is contacted to verify the diary card entries. So if you ring and they tell you <ahem> where to go you, write down exactly that in the notes. A text message will do. 

When I was a 4th year Reg @ASPH the first time round (ST6 in new money) accurate diary carding pushed us up to Band 3, and we were back paid really quickly. Returns in previous years have been so poor that no inferences could be drawn about work patterns or intensity: please don't let this opportunity slide.

Surgeon of the Week

So, Urology trainees have been asking "where are our bosses for Surgeon of the Week?" They are ELUSIVE and have been known to sprint down the corridor away from my camera (yes, YOU Mr Agrawal). Here we have a Urologist pinned down by Humphrey Scott @humphrey_scott, the Godfather Mr Robin Cole:

 

Forthcoming Attractions

Core Surgical Training applications are now OPEN (fanfares). Read the instructions, follow the checklist ...

... and please come and find me with your portfolio so we can buff & polish it. Had a very satisfying session with Christian @marshaisic creating a portfolio to be proud of. I will do a whole post on Portfolio Preparation soon.

Another plug for 'Are You Cut Out For It?', the competition for CT2s to test dexterity & skills. Winners go to the National Finals at the College @RCSNews in February for a chance to win the first prize, £1,000. Have you got what it takes? The X Factor?

19th October 2015

Thought for the Day 

Medicine is a fabulous profession. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be involved in people's lives in such a positive way. There is no bigger buzz than helping someone break free of pain, anxiety or illness. I have nothing but encouragement to give you to pursue a career in this direction. 

Please do not be disheartened by the contracts dispute. There is a bigger agenda going on here than any of us on the ground are party to. What we all do have is a degree in Medicine and it is professionally healthy to use it to gain the broadest experience we can, whether it be in the U.K. or abroad. It is a career without boundaries and few professions can say they have the opportunity that we have, to take our skills to wherever we find our best fit.

Junior Doctors Protest

Saturday was a Big Day... If you follow me on Twitter @SurgicalTutor or if you saw any on line news service, you'll already know what I got up to, but for those who don't...

20,000 junior doctors, supported by consultants, medical students and other health professionals gathered in Waterloo Place for a demonstration and march to Parliament Square. Surprisingly no lights on or signs of life, other than the police presence, as we went past Dept of Health, but I guess they don't work a seven day week...

HEKSS Showcase

Ahead of the march, I popped in on the HEKSS Showcase event at the Charing Cross Hotel. This event hosted stands from all the KSS Trusts, encouraging Medical Students and Foundation Doctors to take a look at what each Trust has to offer

I met the new Dean Director, Professor Graeme Dewhurst (left) here with our own Dr Michael Wood and I'm very keen he comes down to see us and see what we do

Surgical LFG

This week saw the last LFG of 2015. As I've explained in a previous post, this is where Educational Supervisors in a Surgical specialities meet to set our standards for the next quarter, plan training, support trainees in difficulty and address issues both positive and negative raised by everyone taking part in medical education

As many of you will be aware, Surgery, Urology and T&O has seen an expansion in trust grade posts at 'SHO' level and one of our goals is to ensure these non-training grade doctors are involved in an educational programme to support their continued professional development and revalidation. Senior Registrar Ben Carrick (bottom right) has joined us for six months and one of his goals is to establish a weekly teaching session for these doctors (and all who'd like to join if service provision permits). It was useful for us to brainstorm this and I look forward to letting you know about the programme as it develops.

Surgeon of the Week

This week we celebrated the appointment of our LFG colleague and Vascular Surgeon Abdullah Jibawi @abdjibawi to the post of Chief Clinical Informatics Officer (seen hear with Library manager Laura Stafford)

AJ eloquently outlined to us the current situation of IT networks put in place and evolved with apparently no clinical input. AJ is a programmer with a background of working with the Department of Health on IT project management he and explained how powerful a clinically directed IT service could be particularly in our new configuration as a merged Trust. The scope of his vision is huge and exciting and he has our whole-hearted support.

Forthcoming Attractions 

The @HE_KSS Regional Heat of "Are You Cut Out For It?" @RCSNews competition will be held on Thursday December 3rd at 6pm

This competition is open to all CT2s in HEKSS to choose dexterous trainees for the National Final to be held at the College with a substantial cash prize. Test your laparoscopic and open skills against your contemporaries under the eagle eye of Consultants and let's see what you're made of