Qualifying in Liverpool, after House year, my first job was as a Casualty Officer and I loved it. There was no career in A & E then, so I began in Medicine but then got the chance to work in Bermuda. Too good to miss, I went there for 3 years working in most hospital specialities. Back in the UK, hospital posts were heavily over-subscribed. I wasn’t certain what career I wanted but always kept up locum A & E sessions. I did my GP Registrar year, got my qualification, then stayed in GP for the next year or two. I was then offered a full time A & E middle grade post and I returned to my first love. Around this time, a better A & E career structure was emerging so I stayed on, took the Edinburgh FRCS exam then did Registrar and Senior Registrar posts in Mersey. The Consultant post in Warrington became available in 1996 so I finally settled down!
I have interests in Trauma and Minor Injuries – an area that I believe we are in danger of neglecting. As Clinical Lead I spend far too much of my time dealing with the clinical and political fall out of the 4-hour target. As a member of RCEM Council, I see the attempts to gain acceptance that this is a whole system problem. I hope today we can generate ideas for long-term solutions to put patient care at the forefront.
