Meet our teams

“I started at QEH in 1995 as a clinical observer – I was a doctor coming to the UK for the first time, not knowing what the country had to offer, not knowing the type of people, not knowing what kind of services we provide and how you start working in a new healthcare system, when everything looks alien to you.

“But I was welcomed with warmth and I was made to feel at home – that’s the cultural part of it – making people feel welcome and valued. It really helps to overcome the fear of the unknown, when you’re coming from a completely different culture, different country, where practices are different, things are done differently.

“When you’re new, you’re very focused and you want to prove yourself: you’re ambitious, you’ve got a vision and a drive to get there, but you don’t know how, and you’re really scared. That was where I was in 1995.

“You come from a place where you are looking for greener pastures and you’re looking to have a successful career – you have a lot of desire and hope. You want that nurtured; you want to feel that initial level of confidence. I think when you feel that confidence, that warmth, that goes miles with anyone to help them say ‘I can do this too.’

“And that’s how I felt the first few weeks, because everybody at QEH was nice. Everybody was appreciative of what we were doing because they’ve also been on that journey – they had been in my shoes too.

“Today, we make it a point – the Chief Executive, Medical Director, and I go to every induction for junior doctors to introduce ourselves. And I tell them, ‘If I can go from a clinical observer to Deputy Medical Director, so can you.

“It might be baby steps at the start, but you will reach a point where you will be flying, and we will help you fly.’ That’s the assurance we give from the top to our colleagues we work alongside.

“We have a huge list of people wanting to come to QEH just to observe how we work. It’s an entry point for any international medical graduate to come into the country.

“We have a very diverse staff team, and we are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and I think our approach to our vision and mission are very well aligned.

“We provide pastoral care, not only in clinical work but also the social side of work. We also provide individualised mentoring, which gives an invaluable support for staff in times of the unknown, or times they might be anxious.

“Sixty per cent of our doctors at QEH are from minority ethnic backgrounds, and thirty per cent of our overall staff. It’s a huge proportion – people coming here who feel and appreciate our culture at QEH, and contribute to it, so you will feel at home: you’ve got friends, you’ve got people you can relate to. That makes a huge difference when you’re coming into the country for the first time.

“And that’s the thing: once you get into the groove, it’s easy for you to progress. There are people holding your hand and taking you there – that’s what we provide here.”