Born in the UK, we emigrated to the Middle East in 1979, and a decade later were suddenly displaced at the start of the Gulf War (1990). Through the turmoil, we moved to the far-east, and eventually, returned to the UK where I attended secondary school. I travelled after my ‘A-levels’ and found a medical school in Budapest, and decided to take a chance on something wild, new & life-changing. Although the teaching was in English, I learned a new language & culture and truly loved my time there! I got married in Oslo in my 5th year, and we returned to the UK.

 

After training as a GP in Kent, I felt that my learning journey was ‘incomplete’. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I was looking for something more. After MRCGP, I enrolled as a Psychiatric Core Trainee, achieved Section 12 status, and was asked to join what I fondly and somewhat euphemistically call ‘the medical civil service’ as a Clinical Lead in Mental Health for NHS Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group, and entered the brave new world of commissioning.  

 

Five years later, I was voted in as CCG Clinical Chair. This was truly a baptism of fire, the heat shield was off! I was exposed to a searing intensity of medical politics, policy and responsibility. Through that period, I helped reconfigure stroke services in the South East, I was Clinical Director for Hospital/Community Transformation (budget £450m), and led on many clinical areas, as diverse as ‘Children & Adolescents, Dementia, Learning Disabilities, Maternity Care, Mental Health’ and others. I received media training, worked with MPs, think tanks and even got invited to the House of Lords! ​