As trainee doctors at a London hospital, we saw some of the earliest cases of COVID-19 in the UK. Within weeks, a new rota was created to face the pandemic and doctors from various departments were reassigned to help on the front lines. As the crisis unfolded, one key issue that emerged was the impact […]
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The “dreams” of disabled doctors in the NHS workforce should not be trod upon by Dr Shibley Rahman
I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. WB Yeats The dreams of disabled doctors to succeed in the NHS workplace matter. Disability is a ‘protected characteristic’ under equality law. Data […]
Time to change the paradigm by Roger Kline
Following on from the powerful blog “After the speeches…” that outlined actions needed to reduce discrimination, we are delighted to publish part four of a ten part blog series by Roger Kline with suggestions on how to tackle structural racism in the NHS. For decades NHS employers have largely assumed that having policies, procedures and […]
‘Magical Meander’: Should I inspire by incentive?
This is the second part of the BMJ Leader new blog series written anonymously by “Magical Meander”, a medical manager working in the NHS, to help align perspectives and build understanding of medical management across these two professions. Coronavirus has made us all think about antiviral vaccination. Yet in a good year we struggle to […]
Disability in the NHS – an opportunity or a threat? by Dr Shibley Rahman
I’ve known about the major findings of the BMA survey on disability for a few weeks, and I’ve thought about the implications many times. In 2019 3.6% of the non-clinical and 2.9% of the clinical workforce (excluding medical and dental staff) declared a disability through the NHS Electronic Staff Record. I became physically disabled in […]
Data and race discrimination: problem sensing or comfort seeking? by Roger Kline
Following on from the powerful blog “After the speeches…” that outlined actions needed to reduce discrimination, we are delighted to publish a ten part blog series by Roger Kline with suggestions on how to tackle structural racism in the NHS. “We know – intellectually – that confronting an issue is the only way to resolve […]
Compassionate Leadership in the NHS during COVID-19 by Hannah Evans
During times of global crisis, such as the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, it is particularly important to ensure that there is a culture of support in the NHS. Compassion and care must be a certainty for employees at a time of great uncertainty. Compassionate care is shown to be beneficial for patient health outcomes including reduced […]
Those who cannot do so cannot be entrusted to lead the NHS by Roger Kline
Following on from the powerful blog “After the speeches…” that outlined actions needed to reduce discrimination, we are delighted to publish a ten part blog series by Roger Kline with suggestions on how to tackle structural racism in the NHS. In 2018, internationally known recruitment consultants told an NHS organisation I was advising that “inclusion” […]
The importance of sensemaking in a crisis by Andrew Day
COVID-19 is a crisis that is disrupting societies, economies and health and social care systems. We are all trying to make sense of what is happening, what it means to us and how to respond. This is akin, perhaps, to finding oneself in a foreign land with the map of a different country. The experience […]
Leading wisely in the post-COVID-19 era by Dr. Ole Tjomsland and Dr. Jan Frich
Health care delivery systems and health care leaders globally are facing huge shifts in clinical services following the COVID-19 pandemic. Societal closedown has led to a decline both in acute and elective services, and hospitals have restructured services in order to manage patients with suspected COVID-19. Staff-fatigue and hospitals not designed for cohort isolation may […]