Chief Medical Officer Dr Peter Collins Goes Back to the Floor

As part of our executive back to the floor time, this week I had the privilege of visiting our Orthopaedic Outpatient Department, where patients with simple and complicated fractures are seen by a dedicated team of nurses, doctors and other staff. I got to see and hear first-hand the impact of traumatic injury on patients' daily lives. It’s clearly a close team and I heard from Sister Claire Moloney and her team how much they were looking forward to moving into a newly refurbished department next year, and were rising to the challenge of having to deliver the service from two areas within the Trust until all of works and service moves are completed.

I enjoyed hearing from a new recruit to the Trust about how welcoming everyone had been and how she was excited by the opportunities for a varied and fulfilling career offered by the NHS and our Trust.

I saw first-hand how access to high quality imaging (MRI in this case) helps our surgeons deliver the best outcome for patients, as well as teach senior trainees. I also heard about the inevitable frustration at the time it takes to record information on digital records, alongside an acceptance that in the long run the time invested provides safer and more effective care.

It must feel to any consultant like being back in a college exam again being watched by the Chief Medical Officer and I’m grateful to Rob Boyd and Neal Jacobs for their indulgence. I was struck by how a consultation about a broken foot also included really sensitive advice on the impact of smoking on wound healing and non-judgmental advice on stopping.

I had an opportunity to discuss the present and the future with Guy Barham as clinical lead for the orthopaedic service and was impressed by the ambition of the team to deliver high quality specialist care for our population by exploiting our own clinical strengths and forging meaningful partnerships with other Trusts in the region.

In short, I witnessed our three new strategic aims brought to life: holistic care for our Populations health, team working to offer opportunities for our People, and ambition to strengthen our services through Partnership.

I’m grateful to all the staff and patients in the department who allowed me a glimpse of their world and share their pride in the job that they do every day.

04 October 2021