Leicester doctor recognised for his commitment to empathy education

A doctor who has spent decades helping medical students and healthcare professionals to develop strong empathy skills has been recognised for his commitment to high quality learning.

Dr Andy Ward is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and Honorary Senior Academic GP at the University of Leicester and its pioneering Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare.

The Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) has awarded Dr Ward its Principal Fellowship which is only presented to individuals with a sustained record of effectiveness in strategic leadership of high-quality learning. He received the award based on his work in communication skills training, inclusion healthcare and empathic healthcare education.

Dr Ward, who is also a GP at Inclusion Healthcare and a presenter for NB Medical Education, said: “It’s great to be recognised for work I have done in the areas I feel most passionate about – communication skills, empathic healthcare and helping people with the highest levels of need.

“Empathy and good communication are key skills for any healthcare professional, but they take on a whole new level of importance when they are dealing with individuals experiencing homelessness, those seeking asylum or other marginalised populations.”

Congratulating Dr Ward on his achievement, a HEA representative said: “Principal Fellowship is a great achievement and recognises Andy’s commitment and contribution to student learning, as well as the positive influence he has, with his colleagues, as a strategic leader in teaching.” 

The multi-award winner has contributed to more than a dozen academic papers on empathy and healthcare.

He has worked at Leicester Medical School for nearly two decades and is its Compassionate Holistic Diagnostic Detective Course Lead. This is the biggest unit in the medical curriculum, spanning the first two years of the school’s medical degree, and includes 30 sessions of small group teaching to more than 300 students a year. 

Dr Ward has led the development of all its session plans, teaching materials, innovations and assessments and has recruited and trained a team of more than 40 GPs to teach on the course.

He has also created and worked on projects to increase medical student experience of inclusion healthcare – working with marginalised populations such as people experiencing homelessness and seeking asylum in the UK.

At the Stoneygate Centre, Dr Ward has developed innovative and evidence-based teaching interventions that increase and sustain empathy in medical students and practicing healthcare professionals.

On Tuesday, October 8, he is leading a workshop for healthcare practitioners called Putting evidence-based empathy into practice. It is designed for professionals who want to develop empathic evidence-based practice to improve patient care and reduce practitioner burnout.