Medical Chambers: Summer Newsletter September 2024

Here’s hoping we see some sunshine soon. It was lovely to meet face to face for a curry back in April and we hope to arrange a summer locality meet up later this month or July. The West side are arranging a walk and talk and I suspect the East side will base our meet up around food as usual!

Last meeting we had a talk from Tom Milligan on IBS which was informative and sadly not well attended, we are planning to avoid booking meetings to coincide with school holidays as far as possible as it seems to affect the number of attendees significantly.  If anyone was prevented from attending but was interested, Tom has given some other dates when he is presenting to other groups that he has agreed we can register for – Thanks Tom!
Next month we are looking forward to a Lifestyle medicine talk from Amy Kuck, please note this is scheduled for June 20th rather than the last week of the month. More details below.

Bookings are continuing to trickle in, June has been better than May and we are starting to see an increase in uptake through the summer holidays as we would expect. As always it is better to have your availability on early so admin can secure you work, make sure your summer holiday availability is added as soon as possible if you haven’t already done it. I would also encourage you to add availability through the Autumn, September is usually a quiet month so consider offering more availability through the summer to compensate for this.

Recruitment is still on hold with around 40 GPs on the list to be contacted when demand increases again, let's hope that some of the attention that has been seen in the media recently has a positive effect.

Excitingly we are planning a Chambers conference for Thursday September 26th at the Holiday Inn in Garforth! We are still finalising details. If you feel you would like to run a session or workshop at the conference, please let admin know. Booking will be available as soon as details are finalised so keep your eyes on WhatsApp and email. 

Our next newsletter will be after the General Election! Will we be living in a brave new world or more of the same? What will this mean for Locums? We can only wait and see. 

Have a lovely summer whatever you have planned. Kirsty, Sarah, Carole and I will be around through the summer for any help or support that is needed, just reach out via WhatsApp or email. Our summer meetings will be online drop ins so come for a chat or with any issues.

Carolyn, Kirsty, Carole & Sarah.  

Administration

If you are not a member of our WhatsApp group, please reach out and we will welcome you. We have two groups split East and West across the patch. These are active groups and offer instant clinical support as well as updates and chat.  Members can choose either or both group membership and Carolyn and Kirsty cross cover both groups.

Out of office hours: Carole and Sarah can be reached via ImpaxHub using the Emergency contact function (this sends an out of hours email to admin@medical-chambers.com). 

During office hours 8am-5pm Mon to Fri: Telephone - 01904 297 995 and via a new works MESSAGING ONLY service on WhatsApp number- 07842 114473

Login to NB Medical and create an NB Medical Account, to access the amazing FREE content use access code: xxxxxx

If a Chambers member is an NB Medical customer, you get 15% discount on your 14 Fish Appraisal Toolkit and if a member is a 14 Fish customer you can get NB PLUS for £295. Any new member to Chambers will be sent the Fourteen Fish community invite. (Reach out if you need the invite again)

Don’t forget we have the refer a practice scheme that is ongoing:

Alumni Members

You may see some of our members referred to as an Alumni member. What makes an Alumni? It's a Chambers member who for whatever reason is stepping back from the day-to-day locum world but we or the member wish to remain part of the Chambers network. Our Alumni's often offer support, knowledge and wisdom to the current Chambers cohort (via WhatsApp or at the monthly meetings.) Or they themselves are a good contact to have in Chambers, that we may find useful. An alumni who no longer wishes to locum will have their ImpaxHub profile archived so they don’t receive the day to day ‘Find work’ emails. Alumni’s are still invited to the monthly meetings and social gatherings. 

Member Spotlight – Sarah Gardiner (West Chambers)

Tell us a little about you!

Am enjoying a portfolio career with General Practice alongside my business as a Life Coach and NLP practitioner assisting professional women particularly in midlife obtain balance and peace in their lives.

What was your first job: 

Worked as a Salaried GP Rawdon Leeds for 20 years.

Why did you choose the field you are in:

Enjoy the variety of General Practice and did enjoy continuity of care but much prefer being a locum now with Chambers.

An achievement you are most proud of:

Having the confidence to reinvent myself and as a result enjoy General Practice that much more!

What does retirement look like:

Travelling and continuing my business indefinitely whilst I cognitively can!

What is your go to morning beverage:

My husband’s coffee!!!

What does a perfect day off look like to you: 

Dry sunny day - walking my cavapoo Sidney and meeting friends for lunch or coffee locally in Harrogate.

Book or movie recently read or seen and would recommend and why:

Loved “One day” series Netflix recently as music reminded me of Uni days and I am a romantic at heart!

Oldest item in your closet:

I have clothes that are over 20 years old - quality will last!

A superpower you would like to have and why:

Would love to fly - Birds Eye view is breath taking especially when my husband and I missed our train to London by 30 seconds today and had to buy another ticket!

Member Spotlight – Ian Stinson (West Chambers)

Tell us a little about you!

I am from Northern Ireland and moved to Leeds in 1982 to study medicine at the University of Leeds. I have lived in Leeds since. I am married and have 2 children aged 17 and 21.

From 1994 to 2022 I was a full time GP Partner in Bradford for 27 years and in 2023 I decided that now I am ready for the new challenge of a portfolio career. Also after working in one practice for so long it is very stimulating working in different practices with varied populations and set ups.

Since January 2023 I have been working as a GP Locum for surgeries in in Bradford, Harrogate and Leeds regularly returning to most practices. The Medical Chambers has provided a brilliant organisation with helpful colleagues in a "virtual practice" setting for support / advice / education and humour.

What was your first job: 

Summer job pushing / collecting customer trollies at Belfast International Airport in 1985.

Why did you choose the field you are in:

Interesting stimulating job with the opportunity to give continuity of care and a lot less red tape 30 years ago.

An achievement you are most proud of:

Settling into work as a GP Locum after 27 years as a GP partner and enjoying it again and getting very positive 360-degree feedback.

What does retirement look like:

Now!! I've taken early retirement at 59 last year and am still working some clinical sessions. I hope to get more time for photography, travel and dog walking and not having a regular early morning commute.

What is your go to morning beverage:

Coffee with caffeine ++

What does a perfect day off look like to you: 

A slow start! Traveling to an interesting place or event with my wife and grown-up kids.

Book or movie recently read or seen and would recommend and why:

Dune 2. I love Dune 2 and in this case the remake is much better than the original 1984 version with Kyle MacLachlan, Patrick Stewart and Sting.

I also love police dramas and am enjoying Blue Lights set in Belfast

Oldest item in your closet:

School cap (does not fit !!)

A superpower you would like to have and why:

Mind control - I could then get (others) into all sort of mischief.

Member Spotlight – Brian Cook (East Chambers)

Tell us a little about you!

Semi-retired ex single handed GP doing occasional locums when I can fit them in and they are not at the farthest reaches of the universe. Married to a wonderful wife. Blessed by three kids, three step kids, two cats and two dogs. Over the years I've done running, skiing, snowboarding, triathlons, shooting of various kinds, scuba diving, up to instructor, mixed gas and refresher level. Love listening to and playing music, played in a band (claim to fame headlined Filey folk festival, and have played on the stage to a (meager) crowd at The Adelphi in Hull. Still play for my own sanity but miss the buzz of a live gig, and the unparalleled experience of being paid, even if only a few quid, to entertain people)
Though most of the other hobbies have gone, I enjoy getting out on my motorbike and am working towards becoming a National Observer for the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists. Favourite movie, Casablanca. I'm just a big old softy at heart.

What was your first job: 

Summer job when a medical student. Labourers mate in a Lancashire textile warehouse. Downside was sorting through damaged boxes of bed linen. Plus sides, let loose driving a fork lift and a long wheelbase box van. It was the 80's!

Why did you choose the field you are in:

I was inspired by my GP at home. He was retiring as I started medical school, and I would see him when I went home, to catch up with what I was doing. He taught me, by osmosis, to be interested in the person. I remember he always asked if I still had my police pedal car and was reminded of this looking at some old photos recently.
Briefly flirted with wanting to be a surgeon, but surgery didn't want me. The rest of it has evolved in a freewheeling way, and in the end the field chose me.

An achievement you are most proud of:

Professionally there have been many, but my stand out will be finishing my last year as a single handed GP with the practice being voted top five in the country on a national patient survey
Personally, many again, but it's a tie between top ten finish in my first London Triathlon (it was a sprint distance) using a mountain bike, because that's what I had!, and learning to climb a rope at the age of 59! Yes, I'm a big kid really.

What does retirement look like:

It's already here, or at least partially. It looks very good. Best work life balance I've ever had. More time off each week than I ever took as a single handed. It's great not rushing.

What is your go to morning beverage:

Coffee. French press.

What does a perfect day off look like to you: 

Sunny day, or any day. On the motorbike. On great roads with good friends or without, home or abroad

Book or movie recently read or seen and would recommend and why:

Lee Child, Past Tense. One of my patients brings me them when he's finished. As it says in the blurb, everyone needs Jack Reacher, and I have to say they are a thumping good read after a day of dealing with what we do as GP's. My patient has early dementia so sometimes he passes on a title that is a repeat, but, as it took.me three chapters into this one to realise I have read it before, maybe I understand where he's coming from

Oldest item in your closet:

A green jacket I bought on a whim from a shop in Salt's mill, 32 years ago.

A superpower you would like to have and why:

To be able to decipher what my smallest dog is really saying when he's staring at me , whining, just as I've sat down.

Upcoming meetings & Social gatherings

These occur monthly at 7pm on the last Thursday of each month (apart from June) and are bookable by Eventbrite. We have a lot of experience in our members and welcome events from them as well as our alumni members.

All meetings are listed in our Eventbrite, see our upcoming meetings and register your interest to not miss out.

Au Revoir, Goodbye and Thank you

We remain closed to new members. 

Since March 2024 Jo Lowther one of our East Chambers members retired but staying on as an alumni member. All the best Jo and enjoy getting your time back!

April saw a couple of curry nights in York and Leeds. Thanks to those who joined in and took advantage of a lovely evening catch up with colleagues.

A big thanks to Ally Field and Tom Milligan for sharing their knowledge at the last couple of Chambers meetings too. Members giving of their time, knowledge and experience for other members to share. This is always greatly appreciated.

Useful Updates

We will continue to circulate slides and relevant links following chambers monthly meetings.
The following are regular update general newsletters you can subscribe to:

• https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/
• https://www.leedslmc.org/
• https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/