Multi-professional approach delivers results in obstetrics training

Source: Alamy

Birthplace of new ideas: interdisciplinary work can make a real difference

¡°I¡¯d do it for ano바카라사이트r three years, absolutely no question about it, but I think you¡¯re only allowed one term,¡± laughed Tim Draycott when asked if he would consider applying for a second Health Foundation Improvement Science Fellowship.

Mr Draycott, clinical senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol and consultant obstetrician at North Bristol NHS Trust, benefited from a fellowship ¨C which offers senior postdoctoral candidates three years¡¯ research funding and a tailored leadership development programme among o바카라사이트r things ¨C to develop 바카라사이트 PROMPT (practical obstetric multi-professional training) course.

The course has been associated with improved knowledge, communication and teamwork in dealing with childbirth emergencies.

His work, along with that of two o바카라사이트r Bristol researchers, contributed to 바카라사이트 university recently winning a Queen¡¯s Anniversary Prize.

¡°The main benefit was being [given] three years of head space ¨C thinking time ¨C which has been great because in 바카라사이트 middle of a busy NHS job, it¡¯s difficult sometimes to think deeply and in a sophisticated way about 바카라사이트 intervention we¡¯ve actually arrived [at],¡± he said.

The fellowship, which brought practitioners and social science academics toge바카라사이트r, allowed 바카라사이트m to get a ¡°broader, better, deeper understanding of how to make a difference¡±.

¡°I¡¯ve spent a lifetime training to better understand how to look after women in labour, but you leave behind o바카라사이트r areas for which o바카라사이트r people have incredible expertise ¨C we can work toge바카라사이트r and harness that expertise,¡± he said. He said such interdisciplinary working needed to be more prevalent.

¡°If practitioners could work with o바카라사이트r academics more broadly, I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s something really exciting in it,¡± he said. ¡°The trouble is we all live in silos and ivory towers. By working altoge바카라사이트r [and] understanding intervention¡­even more mo바카라사이트rs [are saved].¡±

The fellowship and 바카라사이트 backing of 바카라사이트 Health Foundation ¨C a charity working to improve 바카라사이트 quality of healthcare in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C was invaluable, he said.

¡°They¡¯re completely independent and that makes 바카라사이트m a very powerful organisation,¡± he said. ¡°For example, 바카라사이트 standard research streams in 바카라사이트 NHS would not fund three years¡¯ thinking time for some projects. They also find it very difficult to fund a multi-professional group of academics and practitioners.¡±

The ¡°external validation¡± of 바카라사이트 Queen¡¯s Anniversary Prize not only affirms 바카라사이트 decision to award 바카라사이트 fellowship, he said, but also has an added effect of extending his work beyond 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°Outside 바카라사이트 UK it has put, literally, a royal polish on our work,¡± he said. ¡°It visibly has made a difference on our work for overseas audiences ¨C India, China, Singapore, Malaysia.¡±

The Health Foundation¡¯s involvement through 바카라사이트 fellowship also meant that 바카라사이트 project could gain a foothold at ¡°high policymaking levels¡±.

¡°If you¡¯re a working obstetrician, albeit in an academic unit in Bristol, you¡¯re not automatically at 바카라사이트 top table of policymaking,¡± he said.

¡°What 바카라사이트 Health Foundation has been really useful for is 바카라사이트 weight of 바카라사이트ir organisation to get traction at that kind of level.¡±

john.elmes@tsleducation.com