Writing on leadership, clinical directorship, digital education, the MBA, and the occasional woodworking project.
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The NHS Productivity Myth: Reflections on Systems, Flow, and What My MBA Taught Me About Healthcare
Introduction One of the more uncomfortable lessons I have learned — both as a Clinical Director and during my MBA — is that organisations often default to explaining problems through…
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Module 7: Fintech, Digital Finance and Blockchain
From Crypto Hype to Governance Reality: What an MBA Module on Fintech Actually Taught Me When I first started the Fintech, Digital Finance and Blockchain module, I expected a fairly…
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Module 6: Global Perspectives in Responsible Business – Responsible Business, Power, and the Discomfort of Looking Properly
One of the more interesting parts of my MBA so far has been the module on global perspectives in responsible business. Not because it introduced entirely new concepts, but because…
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The Quiet Weight of Clinical Leadership: Process, Governance, and Protecting Yourself in Difficult Systems
Introduction One of the things I have reflected on most during my time as a Clinical Director is that healthcare leadership is often portrayed in extremes. People either imagine transformational…
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Almost a year in post: what actually changed – and what didn’t
Nearly a year into a senior clinical leadership role, you get past the honeymoon phase and into something more useful: clarity. What’s genuinely moved the needle, what’s grindingly slow, and…
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Module 5: Accounting, Accountability and Decision Making
I’m a surgeon by training. I spend most of my professional life thinking about risk, outcomes, flow, capacity, and decision-making under pressure. Until this MBA, accounting sat firmly in the…
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Module 4: Managerial Finance
I went into the Managerial Finance module expecting theory-heavy corporate finance: formulas, models, and abstract concepts that mostly live in textbooks. What I got instead was something far more valuable…
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Tackling Surgical Savings with Strategy and Purpose
Stepping into the role of Clinical Director brings with it a unique vantage point — one where clinical priorities and financial realities converge. This year, I’ve been tasked with helping…
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Module 3: Understanding the Economy – MBA Reflections
As part of my MBA journey, the Understanding the Economy module stood out for its relevance, challenge, and direct applicability to my real-world leadership role within the NHS. Coming from a clinical…
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A Milestone in Surgery — Quiet Reflections, Loud Gratitude
There are moments in every career where you pause – not to count the number of cases, clinics, or call – but to breathe, reflect, and acknowledge the arc of…
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One Board Led to Another: A Commission Born from Creativity
Sometimes creativity flows like resin – unexpectedly, organically, and beautifully. After making my first resin board as a birthday gift (with English Elm and a vivid green pour that served…
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Module 2: Procurement with Purpose: Reflections on My Sustainable Operations Assignment
One of the most rewarding parts of my MBA journey so far has been applying theory to real-world challenges – and nowhere was that clearer than in my recent Sustainable…
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Feedback, Frameworks & Forward Motion: Reflections on My MBA Marketing Results
My first academic submission since completing my PhD in 2013 — a deep dive into marketing frameworks, feedback, and rediscovering the rhythm of structured writing in the MBA programme. Here’s…
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The Rise of ChatGPT in Academia: Tool, Threat, or Transformational Aid?
“ChatGPT is not a shortcut — it’s a thinking partner. When used transparently, it helps students synthesise theory, draft ideas, and clarify complex feedback. The real academic misconduct isn’t using…
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Leadership, Collegiality, and Building Sustainable Systems in the NHS
In the face of limited resources, orthopaedic teams are finding new ways to deliver care through collaboration, pragmatism, and quiet leadership. Here’s why the NHS needs executive courage, not just…
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Facilitation, Trust, and What Healthcare Leadership Is Gradually Teaching MeLet the Work Breathe: How Facilitation Beats Control in Real Leadership
Over the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects that initially appeared ambitious, operationally difficult, or unlikely to scale successfully. One of those was the development…
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Module 1: MBA Marketing
From Starbucks to Supplements: An MBA Journey Through Marketing in Action Introduction: When Marketing Became More Than Just a Module There are few MBA modules that blend academic theory and…
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I have to do what now?
“Wait, I Have to Do What Now?” — Reflections on Starting an MBA Apprenticeship When I first signed up for the MBA via the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship, I…
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Starting My MBA Journey
In January 2024, during my annual appraisal, a suggestion was made that resonated deeply with me: to pursue an MBA. It wasn’t just a tick-box recommendation—it was a meaningful nudge…
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Clinically Driven, Competitively Appointed
There’s a quiet moment, just after the email lands, when the weight of a new role begins to settle in. Being appointed Clinical Director through a competitive process isn’t just…
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Scaling Up Education: The Evolution of the Postgraduate Virtual Learning Environment (PGVLE) and Its National Impact
Sometimes you start something and it just keeps going. The PGVLE is just that for me In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare education, the Postgraduate Virtual Learning Environment (PGVLE) a…
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From Hobby to Custom Birthday Gift
There’s something deeply satisfying about creating something with your own hands – especially when it’s for someone you love. My first resin and wood board made as a birthday gift…
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Cheese Board
So after all the excitement if making a table I didn’t anticipate that i’d effectively get a commission for one! I was asked by a family friend to make a…
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Router Sled – Bigger and Better
Bigger & Better – I needed something bigger than a trim router, so I got a plunge router……
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Wood for Tables
Starting out I just bought Walnut wood as I saw on YouTube, but its time to branch out!
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Duty of Candour
In the realm of healthcare, trust is the cornerstone of the patient-physician relationship. Patients rely on medical professionals to provide competent and compassionate care. However, as fallible humans, medical errors…
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Occupational Sound Exposure in Orthopaedics
Your hearing is precious – occupational sound exposure in orthopaedics is significant!
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Post-Foundation to Pre-Consultant
There are always going to be some negatives but it really depends on how you react and adapt. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t fight to make things better, we…
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Convertible Picnic Table
I got the BBQ, but needed somewhere to eat….
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Life as a Foundation Doctor – 15 years on.
Since medical school there has always been some issue related to training and junior doctors. At medical school the Moderning Medical Careers (MMC) changes led to a huge number of…
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Have you done the NJR form?
Have you done the NJR form, some thoughts on the practical elements of using mass data.
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Green Surgery
Going green in Surgery – Small steps
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Annual Review Part 2 – Appraisal
Appraisal time is coming up – some thoughts on the process.
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Annual Review Part 1 – ARCPs – Two sides.
ARCPs can be very tedious…here are some of my reflections
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100% Invested
So as a trainer, i’ll always start off 100% invested in you. Maintaining that investment is up to you! 🙂
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Valentines Day – Celebrating One Year at WorcsAcute
One year Anniversary – @worcsacutenhs 😂
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NHS Industrial Action
NHS Industrial Action – just some reflections on the current state of affairs
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PGVLE – Empowering Trainees
One of big things about being a consultant is the fact that my job plan involves sessions for non-clinical activities. Over an 8 week cycle I have: With all of…
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Epoxy Resin River Table
My First Attempt at a River Resin Table…..
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DIY Router Sled
All the US videos on resin tables had, at some point, a trip to a friendly lumber yard where the resin table was planed down… No such luck in the…
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Garage Workbench
For those who have read the Epoxy Resin Table post will realise that I entered a difficult situation of having a beautiful piece of table that needed to be planed.…
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CSTHubUK
After leading the way with Virtual Core Surgical Training in the West Midlands with consistently high feedback and trainee/trainer engagement the model has been adapted for the national stage. It’s…
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Hello Worcestershire!
After 2.5 years at SaTH, during an incredibly difficult time for everyone across the nation I have taken an exciting new opportunity at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust as a…
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PGVLE – Anatomy.TV integration
As the PGVLE surpasses 7500 users, we continue to plan for the future and are proud to announce a collaboration with Primal Pictures to integrate Anatomy.TV into the PGVLE. Now…
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Goodbye SaTH
After 2.5 years at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals NHS Trust I have opted to leave. In what has been a fantastic opportunity to developed my consultant persona and establish my…
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PGVLE approaches 7500 users
As we close on 2021, the PGVLE continues to grow and now has nearly 7500 users registered on the platform with ongoing uptake. The recognition that remote and virtual teaching…
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Aspiring Vascular Courses – Aspire 7 & Aspire 8
So a proud collaboration with the Vascular Society to deliver the Aspire 7 (FRCS practice course for 40 trainees with 23 faculty over 2 days in March 2021) and Aspire…
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Custom Built-in Wardrobe
When we moved house, we went back to the to drawing board and stripped the house back to brick. Looking at room layouts, the conclusion was that a built in…
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Elevation
The inevitable frustrations of having been given the small room met that my youngest needed something to coax him into a good mood. So instead of rebuilding the bunk beds…
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Hobby Time
With all the career focused activity that almost takes over during training, many of my hobbies fell by the wayside but it’s never to late to have a go at…
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National Association of Clinical Tutors Article
Virtual learning continues to establish itself and the infrastructure that we’ve built in the West Midlands is garnering interest everywhere! It was incredible to receive a request for an article…
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BOA Education & Careers Committee
As my work with the PGVLE goes on, my experience continues to grow. I now look forward to take these ideas to the British Orthopaedic Association Education & Careers Committee…
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2000 Users on the PGVLE!!!!
One of my overriding aims was to grow the PGVLE organically. Not just build it and put it out there but to nurture and invite groups into the fold. We…
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Virtual Learning – Moving Forward
This month my article on the ‘Virtual Learning – Moving Forward’ was published in the December 2020 issue of the Journal of Trauma & Orthopaedics In this article I highlight the…
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Virtual Fracture Clinic
Virtual Fracture Clinic is a process by which patients are afforded comfort by not having to come into hospital unless absolutely necessary after an injury but can be safe in…
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Organic Growth
We’ve now launched the next phase of our Virtual Learning Environment and have rebranded from the SVLE to the Postgraduate VLE to acknowledge several non-surgical specialties joining the programme. The…
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Virtual Teaching & IT Solution Webinar
Learning new skills. In just over 8 weeks I went from an idea to full implementation and expansion of the new West Midlands School of Surgery Surgical Virtual Learning Environment.…
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COVID-19 – Building for a “New Normal”
My skill set and experience has allowed me to work from home during this COVID pandemic. Surgical training the world over has been majorly impacted so making sure that this…
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COVID-19 – A note for my colleagues
During this crisis, orthopaedic surgery has become a supporting specialty. The trauma has been still been coming in and I credit my colleagues at both SaTH and at RJAH for…
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Collaboration, Facilitation & Empowerment
This month my article on the ‘Birmingham Orthopaedic Network – Collaboration, Facilitation, Empowerment’ was published in the March 2020 issue of the Journal of Trauma & Orthopaedics In this article I…
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Health Education England Secondment
I’ve joined the team at Health Education England as the West Midlands Training Programme Director for Core Surgical Teaching on a 3-year secondment. My main role is to coordinate the…
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Joining SaTH as a Substantive Consultant Surgeon
Today I’ve started consultant life at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH). I’ve been appointed to complement the existing team in providing a general trauma service and also to…
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NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Training Programme
The Clinical Entrepreneur Training Programme is an exciting opportunity to learn how to take ideas and take them forward in a commercial way, something that most clinicians know nothing about.…
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HSJ 2019 – Proud Finalist
This year was not our year, but I had a tremendous time at the HSJ Value awards in Manchester this year. On reflection being a finalist and receiving recognition for…
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Birmingham Orthopaedic Network – First Peer Review Article
Since starting in July 2017 the BON has gone from strength to strength. I’m proud to have got the BON involved with a tremendous national collaboration leading to the BON…
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HSJ 2019 Nomination!
The Birmingham Orthopaedic Network – A project i’ve been proud to have conceived, developed and implemented has been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal Award. Ignore the beard! For more…
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BOA Clinical Leadership Programme 2017-18 – Graduation
A successful conclusion to the BOA CLP 2017-18, achieving a successful project launch (The Birmingham Orthopaedic Network) and a Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management & Leadership from the Chartered…
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BOA Travelling Fellowship
I feature in this months edition of Journal of Trauma & Orthopaedics (Vol 5 Iss 4 December 2017). I utilised the travel fellowship from the BOA to visit the renowned…