College of Life Sciences
Summer 2023 newsletter
June 2023
Dear Patients and Carers,
Welcome to the summer edition of the patient and carers newsletter.
In this update we share news on the Launch of the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare extending a warm welcome to Professor Jeremy Howick, Director of the new centre and sharing a profile of his career. Some members of our Patient and Carer Group (P&CG) attended the launch of the Centre and several shared the work of our group in teaching students about being on the receiving end of health and social care delivery. We also report on Anthony Locke a member who continues to be a dynamic contributor to the education of healthcare students. Anthony has generously funded a number of student awards and in the autumn newsletter we will provide a further update on Anthony’s work.
We are working to bring to the attention of the General Medical Council how patient and carer involvement in medical education remains vital. Our group is working with other medical schools led by Dame Professor Robina Shah Director of the Manchester University’s Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience. Amber and Rachelle provide a “recap” on their attendance at a London meeting to further this work held at the General Medical Council. A final update of Amber’s research has been provided, with a ‘heartfelt’ thank you from Amber to the P&CG for support provided during her research. Amber will be sharing her findings at the Association of Medical Education summer conference in Birmingham and again we are able to take one or two members of the group to share our work with other medical schools
We are mindful of our cherished colleagues who are experiencing enormous challenges, including health conditions and send our collective best wishes.
Warmest Regards,
Professor Liz Anderson Chair Pratibha Patel
Rachelle Maxwell Vice Chair
Introducing Professor Jeremy Howick
Professor of Empathic Healthcare and Director of the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, Leicester Medical School University of Leicester
Professor Howick joined the University of Leicester Medical School in June 2022, as the first director of the unique £10m Stoneygate Centre for ‘Excellence in Empathic Healthcare’. The centre is co-funded by the University and the Stoneygate Trust. The centre aims to provide the resources required to embed ‘empathy ‘into the core of the Medical School curriculum. The aim is to expand this across the UK and beyond.
Professor Howick's work will build on the Empathy curriculum currently delivered to the Leicester Medical School Foundation year students. The plan is to invite students to experience health care firsthand, e.g., “through spending the night as a patient in hospital and expanding the inclusion of patients and carers and scenario-based learning with actors. Professor Howick comments “People go into the medical profession because they care about people, yet a lot of the time their motivation is forgotten amidst the need to memorise facts for exams, and after they qualify, filling out forms”.
In one of Professor Howick’s books ‘Dr You’, he describes a pivotal moment in his life, involving wearing a woolly hat and scarf, and drinking ginger tea. The story goes on to describe his experiences as an Olympic rower, representing his home country Canada, in the late 90’s. During this time, he also developed an extreme allergy to a cat his mother brought into the home. As an Olympian, taking drugs of any sort would have been tricky, due to the constant testing of athletes for drug abuse. Needless to say, Professor Howick felt compromised. But as he felt very ill, he visited an herbalist. It was on this occasion the wearing of the woolly accessories and the drinking of the ginger tea was prescribed, and he tried it. Within a day he describes having improved’a little’ and after three days had almost stopped sneezing.
The seemingly unimportant (at the time) visit to the herbalist lead to important changes in Professor Howick’s career plans, from his degree in Engineering to a move to the UK and a PhD with leading philosophers of medicine, at the London School of Economics. In his book Dr You, (dedicated to his late Mother), Professor Howick describes a compelling desire to make his ‘lived experiences and research findings accessible to many and varied readers, as well as a those who relate to academic journals. The book Dr You, is both compelling and accessible, it provides an insight into the ‘person’ who is now an important part of the Leicester Medical School team. Professor Howick promotes the embodiment of ‘lived experience ‘for better health. ‘You can’t help someone get up the hill without getting nearer the top yourself ‘(General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr, Dr You, page 196).
“With this in mind, from the Patient and Carers to Professor Howick, thank you for joining the University of Leicester Medical School”
Launch Event - Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare
April 2023 saw the launch of the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, “positioning empathy’ at the heart of 21st century healthcare in the Medical School. Professor Howick explains “empathy supports doctors to see the situation from their patient’s perspective’ and ‘is beneficial to both patient and practitioner’. Evidence based research demonstrates the link between empathic approaches and greater trust between patients and practitioners, which in turn decreases anxiety and improves patient outcomes”.
Professor Howick introduced an eminent list of keynote speakers and panel members which included the following:
- Professor Jeremy Howick, Professor at the University of Leicester and the first Director of the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare
- Professor Nisha Dogra, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry Education, University of Leicester
- Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE FMedSchi, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Services, University of Nottingham
- Professor Sue Carr, Deputy Medical Director, General Medical Council
- Professor Sir Mayur Lakhani CBE, Chair of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management
- Jono Broad, NHS England, Integrated Personalised Care- South West Region
- Dr Ronx Ikharia, Trans Non-Binary Emergency Medicine Doctor
During the launch event, patients and carers both delivered and attended a number of workshops. Due to capacity constraints of the event, the number of patients and carers attending had to be limited, however, a further opportunity to meet Professor Howick and the rest of the team will be provided at a future date.
Workshops and Symposiums Patient and Carers perspectives
Workshop 4: Increasing student empathy through patient involvement in medical education
Presenter: Professor Elizabeth Anderson
A perspective from Ranjana Kotecha and Annie Bannister
Professor Elizabeth Anderson, hosted two Patient and Carer workshops:
- Workshop 4a, focusing on the work of the Leicester Medical School P&CG
- Workshop 4b, demonstrating good practice and procedures for starting up a P&CG initiative
Both workshops attracted over 20 participants, drawn from international delegates.
Workshop 4a
Workshop 4a began with an innovative scenario acted out by two members of the Carers group Ranjana Kotecha and Annie Bannister. Annie related a script that detailed the work of a carer from waking at breakfast time through to bedtime. Ranjana utilised a number of ‘hats’ to demonstrate the different roles a Carer delivers throughout the day. For example, from caring for a loved one by bathing and dressing, to being a chef, whilst preparing and assisting with meals, to being a pharmacist, when administering and taking responsibility for complex drug regimes. The list below provides an insight into the reality of the skills and professional roles of a Carer, if a job description were to be produced.
Carer Job description
|
Skills |
Professional Role |
|
Medical Knowledge |
Pharmacist, GP |
|
Multi-tasking organisational |
Paramedics |
|
Listening/Patience |
Counsellor |
|
Administration |
Administrator |
|
Communication |
Advocate |
|
Stress management, team work |
GP, Counsellor |
|
Food preparation |
Diabetic Assistant |
|
Health and Care |
Nurse |
|
Safety |
Health and safety manager |
|
Physical |
Care assistant |
|
Researching IT |
IT technician, Library Assistant |
|
Financial legal |
Solicitor, bank manager |
|
Driving to appointments |
Taxi driver |
It was demonstrated by Ranjana that by the end of each day the Carer was ‘depleted’, unable to attend to their own needs and welfare.
The poignant workshop ended with absolute silence and delegates could be seen to be demonstrably moved to tears.
Workshop 4b
Introduced the insights of the PHD research inspired by Prof Liz Anderson and carried out by Amber Bennet-Weston. The research represented the views of the P&CG who were interviewed over a period of time and were able to express their ideas and concerns, in confidence, in terms of how the group could be structured and the activities patients and carers could contribute to and feel ‘embedded’ in the medical school. This included honest feedback on factors that could act as barriers to patients and carers being able to be ‘open ‘and share insights into experiences involving; trauma, grief, shame, living with long term health conditions, being a carer, and stigma. Rachelle Maxwell explained how the findings would be drawn upon to further develop and frame the terms of reference for the Leicester Medical School P&CG and would include awareness of training required by staff to support P&C’s, to contribute fully to the medical curriculum. The workshop concluded with several attendees requesting visits from the workshop leaders to advise in setting up similar P&C initiatives, in various medical schools.
Workshop 5: Anger and Empathy: A delicate, yet potentially positive and powerful, partnership!
Presenter: Dr Gary Redfeather
Workshop 2: If you were to get worse…. Goals of care conversations in acute health settings
Presenters: Mandy Wiliams and Kim Taylor
A perspective from Rachel Wright and Nadine Beasley
Workshop 5: Anger and Empathy: A delicate, yet potentially positive and powerful, partnership!
The workshop presented by Dr Redfeather aimed to encourage attendees to explore the idea that angry people could become ‘great allies’ and ‘we’ could become the ally of an angry person. Dr Redfeather alluded to the fact that, at times, when a person shows anger, the first reaction is to attempt to ‘handle’ or to quell the anger but, Dr Redfeather states ‘we know we don’t get angry over things we don’t care about, sometimes, it’s just difficult to understand how to handle a situation.’ Dr Redfeather cited the poet David Whyte as suggesting that anger could be the purest form of care, also, that it was understandable if people didn’t’t totally agree with this statement. Nadine and Rachel took from the workshop that “potentially, if choreographed appropriately, interactions with angry people can become a positive and powerful experience”.
“this workshop was fascinating and made us want to explore the subject further. It was highly interactive with 50+ participants taking part which was really valued in a day of sitting about.” With reference to Workshop 2, Rachel and Nadine expressed an “appreciation for the use of clear explanations when attempting to convey a new perspective on a tricky subject, and to challenge the accepted norm on how one should feel about a particular emotion”.
Workshop 2: If you were to get worse. Goals of care conversations in acute health settings
Rachel and Nadine also participated in Workshop 2, presented by Mandy Williams and Kim Taylor, a two-day experimental training course was described. “The course aimed to provide training and practice for staff working in acute care settings. The training provided guidance on how to support staff to initiate sensitive and compassionate conversations with patients at significant risk of dying in the following 12 months. Mandy and Kim related their experiences of health professionals feeling insufficiently prepared or confident to initiate such conversations. Including, discussions on prognostic uncertainty, dealing with strong emotions, or discussing decisions around ‘care’ with respect to duration and quality of life”.
During the workshop a number of scenarios were presented and Rachel and Nadine participated fully, presenting their insights to attendees It was noted by Mandy and Kim that Rachel and
Nadine’s insights, as patients and carers, were extremely valuable. Rachel explained that apart from herself and two doctors’ other delegates seemed reluctant to offer views. Rachel felt although the content of the workshop was extremely useful, a more direct approach incorporating clear and concise vocabulary, delivered with sensitivity would be more effective and supportive than
‘dancing around the subject’. Rachel and Nadine felt the workshop showcased valuable content and a range of activities to be drawn upon, “it only skimmed the surface of what is on offer.”
Double Day and General Medical Council (GMC)
Round Table event
On 3rd of May, Prof Liz Anderson supported the Double Day- GMC Round Table event and provided representation through research fellow, Amber Bennet-Weston and the Vice Chair of the Leicester Medical School’s Patient and Carer Group (P&CG. The ‘Double Day’ title refers to the Manchester University’s “Centre for Patient Experience” founded by Professor Robina Shah. The centre was established by the Edwin Double Day Fund in 2015 as the first centre of its kind in the UK. The fund was put in place by the parents of Edwin Double Day, a former medical student at Manchester University, who passed away before he could take his final exams. The focus of the Double Day initiative, is to share good practice and discuss how to improve and develop medical education and training, to ensure patient safety and public protection. The chair of the event Professor Robina Shah was awarded the title Dame Commander of the British Empire for services to patients care in 2023. Prof Anderson congratulated Robina on behalf of the P&C group, through the representatives attending the event.
During November 2020, Professor Robina Shah developed the Double Day Centre Medical Schools Partnership Collaboration (DCPPMSC), a network of UK Medical Schools. The network meets each quarter as a community practice. The forum acts to promote and embed Patient and Carer Public Involvement (PPI) in medical education. Colleagues share experiences of different approaches and explore ''what went well’ and ‘what more could be done' to promote patient partnerships. Also under discussion are strategies for widening public involvement across Medical Schools and Healthcare. Evidence-based practice is drawn upon to facilitate change and to improve PPI in medical education.
The Double Day group also acts as key stakeholder for various organizations that deliver, train or regulate healthcare services and professional practice. During the event the Leicester Medical School Vice Chair was able to offer examples of the work carried out by the Leicester Medical School P&CG. Amber Bennet Weston added impact and evidence by citing the findings of her research. It was explained that the research had been developed as a direct consequence of listening to the voices of patients and carers.
The Double Day Round table was hosted by the GMC and provided a valuable mechanism for gaining an understanding of the role of the GMC. The importance of patients and carers input was central to discussions. The GMC helps to protect the public and improve medical education and practice in the UK. This is achieved by setting standards for students and doctors. Medical students and doctors are supported to achieve - and exceed those standards and action is taken and support provided, when they are not met. The GMC also manages the medical register and considers and investigates patients’ concerns about doctors (https://www.gmc-uk.org/about/what-we- do-and-why/our-mandate).
The Double Day event provided a valuable opportunity to network with university medical schools and patients and carers, vice chairs, on a national basis. We plan continuing to be involved with the Double Day initiative and to contribute and benefit from the forums.
The P&CG appreciates having a voice in such an important event
Amber Bennett-Weston - Final PhD Update May 2023
As I’m sure you will all know by now, I have spent the past two and a half years working on my PhD on patient and carer involvement in professional healthcare training. I have spoken with members of the Patient and Carer Group, educators across the Medical School and School of Healthcare and students from across the two Schools. I have also, of course, written updates for this newsletter on my progress and it is in this newsletter that I give my final update. That’s right, I’ve finished! I submitted my thesis in early April, in anticipation of starting a new role as a post- doctoral research associate in The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare at the University of Leicester. I will have my viva voce examination, where I will be required to defend my thesis to two examiners, over the next couple of months.
In doing my PhD I set out to understand what it means to form partnerships with patients and carers in healthcare education. Until this point, there had been little research asking patients and carers for their opinions on the ways in which they were involved in healthcare education, so I hope that the findings of my study will lead to positive changes in the way that universities work with patients and carers. At the University of Leicester, we are already making some changes based on my findings, which has been fantastic to see: identification badges have been provided for members of the Core Group and members of the Group are co-creating a faculty development workshop for educators on how to work with patients and carers. I will be presenting the findings of my PhD research at the Association for the Study of Medical Education national conference in July this year, so hopefully other universities will follow suit!
I just want to end this final update with an absolutely massive thank you to you all for supporting and taking an interest in me and my work over the past couple of years; the Patient and Carer Group has been so welcoming. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to speak with me for my research, without you I would have no thesis! It really has been such a pleasure to work with you and to get to know so many of you.
Amber Bennett-Weston - Post-doctoral Research Associate in The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare