Blog

    Over the summer months I have been exploring what Stoic philosophy can teach us about how to live a fulfilled, meaningful and authentic life. The Stoics focussed on virtue, living according to nature, acting with integrity, connection and...

  The Urgency Trap⁣ ⁣ Even when we step away from direct clinical care, the pressure doesn’t stop; results, emails, meetings and admin all compete for our urgent attention.⁣ ⁣ And with clinical productivity dominating the narrative, the pressure can feel...

  The amazing Anna Baverstock and I have written a blog for BMJ Leader. We have formed the start of a national network with Dr Richard Duggins looking at the organisational drivers of burnout and the changes needed to support senior doctors in the NHS in the...

I have found becoming a Samaritan listener a truly enriching experience. So, I thought I would share a few thoughts about some of my learning. I do this in service to fellow clinicians who might find themselves supporting colleagues in distress, and as a reminder...

This week, I have been reflecting on why doctor burnout levels peak mid-career (11-20 years post qualification) https://lnkd.in/evRgNjg3. While the reasons are complex, I am noticing a consistent theme in my coaching around what Tal Ben-Shahar calls the 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥...

So let me introduce Maple, our new six-year-old rescue dog (half cocker, half dachshund, full on wild enthusiasm). Having been without a dog for over a year, her presence in my life has reminded me of what dogs can teach us about 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 as a doctor. Spending...

Moving the dialogue from productivity to engagement. With the gap between demand and resources ever widening and patients waiting far too long for much-needed care, productivity often becomes the dominant leadership narrative. Already overworked clinicians are...

Most clinicians have, I suspect, experienced a slight 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 when facing online mandatory training. Which of the following statements about mandatory training is correct? A. It's a 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, contributing to burnout B. It can feel like a...

According to the latest survey, public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time low. Underneath these statistics are 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 facing delays in care. And, also, clinicians experiencing the 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 of witnessing the impact on our patients. This...

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 are the core beliefs that define us, our essence. Collectively, they provide 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and what we stand for; what’s important in our lives. Large organisations such as 𝐍𝐇𝐒 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐬 spend time defining and publicising their...