in case stroke shits the bed
Table of contents
dear antek
I’m one of the new FY1s – started last August – currently on Rotation 3 of 6 – on Stroke. I’ve heard your name in a really positive light from Mr X, Med-ed Lead, Dr X and nearly all the F2s. I’d just like to pick your brains on something and see if there’s anything you would do – if you were an FY1 8 months in.
this was my letter to a first year doctor on the very same rotation two years prior. this previous first year doctor escalated his concerns to the deanery on grounds of lack of senior staffing. the trust got in a lot of trouble and were threatened with taking away all the juniors unless changes were made. changes were made. senior stroke consultants were brought in. the first year junior doctor rota changed. and bang ward, rota and junior life improved.
3 months later
my letter was never handed in. it was never needed. by some unique set of circumstances, we’ve got seniors. it took time and a lot of difficult conversations. i mean two open flat-out arguments with the locum medical consultant in the middle of the ward on the duties of a first year doctor, a tense chat with the operations manager in the family room and meetings with the emergency programme and med-ed lead. but as the humble wide-eyed junior, you really do have to speak up - be confident, to the point and believe by escalating that you are acting in the interests of the patient, not the hospital and not for any other reason.
and so the big change was we got a medical consultant on the ward to see medical patients and a senior SHO, sometimes two, to help, alongside our normal rota. after all, this is what staffing was like on the ward 12 months prior.
takeaway today
in working life, especially island working life - all people want to do is be a bit useful in their 9-5 and just have a good time. the very fact that you are escalating, shows that you care and there’s plenty of people who’ll listen and if that care seems genuine (acting in the patients’ interests - more so than anything else), and boom people will try and be useful. who knows it might be more than you can ever imagine.
6 months later
foundation programme meeting with the deanery big bosses - sorta meant to be a chance for juniors to speak up - but is actually more a cqc inspection. ‘so how are things on the stroke ward.’ well they’re aren’t here. ‘where are they?’ on the ward.