What do you love about your role?
I am a consultant allied health professional in Neuromuscular Diseases, a relatively new role in the AHP professions and the NHS. I am a physiotherapist and also a clinical academic/health researcher. Research is one of the four pillars of consultant practice and I have been able to support my research activity, though acquiring research grants, that are focused on the patients I treat. I lead the Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Research Group and our research aims to support people with live well with muscle wasting conditions.
What inspired you to work in the NHS?
My father and uncle both came to the UK from Mauritius in the 1960s to study nursing, and both worked in the NHS for 40+ years. I saw dad’s hard work, commitment to study and his leadership made a difference. We moved up and down the country and spent a lot of time living in hospital accommodation on NHS sites. He progressed from being a nurse manager to a business manager of an acute trust and then was a commissioner for primary care trust near the end of his career
Any advice you would give to someone considering a career in the NHS?
No two days are the same and though it can be very busy, but I am always inspired and humbled by the people I see in my clinics. The science of what we do is fascinating and engages me intellectually all of the time. The reward can be very enriching personally when you feel like you have made a difference to a patient’s life.
What do you enjoy about working in the NHS?
I have already mentioned the inspiration I get from the people who attend my clinics, but I also work in an incredibly supportive multi-disciplinary team, with huge respect for all professions, experience and contributions. The people make the NHS special and I have been in awe of the dedication, resilience, flexibility and innovative thinking of my colleagues over the last two years.
