As students, we experience the NHS and practice of medicine from a perspective different to that of the public. We get to see the BTS cuts, the exclusive bits 🎥. Since starting medical school/placement, how has your view/opinion of the NHS changed?
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A big part of why I wanted to pursue medicine to begin with was my admiration of the NHS as a whole - I would say it is one of our best achievements as a country, if not the very best. It's creation was genuinely revolutionary and this pandemic has truly shown how much of an asset it is to our society.
That being said there is a l o t of glamorisation. I knew when I was applying that medicine is academically and emotionally challenging, but the more exposure I get the more I see the real extent of it. Even in 3rd year I've already seen the impact of cuts, underfunding, understaffing, lack of resources etc - the NHS has been deprived for years and it does impact on both patients and staff. Of course doctors, nurses and other health care professionals make such a difference to people's lives and you do see those amazing life saving, exciting moments. But, the paperwork, dealing with lack of resources, breaking bad news, not being able to help certain patients come hand in hand with them.
I do think about the kind of NHS we'll be going into when we graduate, but the great thing is that we all go through it together and have each other to lean on when things do get tough :)
Totally agree with you there Sian. The NHS is the pride of the UK (highly controversial as that sounds, apologies to the royal family). The fact that there was a nation wide applause every Thursday is a testament to the good work carried out by NHS staff across the country. It truly served the country in one of our most bleakest times. However, the lack of funding to the NHS has meant that resources are constantly strained. Despite this, my clinical experience so far has been good. I’ve come across clinicians who are not only willing to share their skills but are constantly going above and beyond for their patients. Whilst I do agree things can be different, I feel like I have grown to appreciate the NHS more and would be honoured to be part of it soon.
Completely agree with both of you! I think the NHS achieves something wonderful every single day but the one thing that I've come to realise since starting clinical years is just how much of a difference every single staff member makes to the hospital, each other and the lives of the patients and how much work each individual actually puts in. Everyone does their bit, no matter how difficult or simple the task is and this is the reason the NHS can function as it does today. Yes, it is extremely under-funded and under-appreciated, but the fact that despite this they can pull off what they do every day is something almost no other country would be able to acheive, so I think that everyone who has worked for the NHS, during the pandemic or not, deserves more than an applause every thursday.
I totally agree, from the porters to the ward clerks to the nurses and physicians associates, everyone adds value to the team, it’s lovely to see
I don't think a career in medicine would have interested me half as much if it wasn't for the NHS - the idea that I would be joining a workforce dedicated to providing good care irrespective of class and wealth is what really stood out to me. That said, there is a LOT of room for improvement and many of the problems sadly revolve around funding or lack thereof
Yeah I agree with everything that's been said so far
I think for me my admiration for the NHS has only grown since starting medical school/clinical placements
It's great to see a dedicated workforce who are committed to delivering high- quality care to all patients, despite the lack of funding, cuts and challenges that NHS staff members constantly face.
It's definitely given me a big insight into my future! I've realised how much I didn't know about the NHS LOL, but it's put things into perspective and made me appreciate even more the hard work NHS staff put in day in and day out! I've also only recently realised what it is to actually be an FY1 doctor :')
Omg I definitely agree