Congratulations to School Alumnus and Resident Doctor Dr Anthony Robinson who was chosen as Mersey & West Lancs Employee of the Month this November.
Anthony began his foundation training at Southport Hospital in 2023 and he is currently based on Ward 11B, a general medical ward specialising in Gastroenterology, and it was Antony’s Ward Manager Lauren Watson who nominated him for the win.
He is described as compassionate, organised and an excellent team player who has time for everyone and is well-liked by all staff and patients. Another colleague commented on his ‘beautiful bedside manner’, and said he goes above and beyond for the patients under his care. He listens to and acts on any concerns raised and is always willing to help colleagues when needed.
We had the opportunity to speak with Anthony Robinson about his well-deserved win, where he shared his thoughts on the recognition, his experiences at Southport Hospital, and the journey that has shaped his career so far.
You were MWL’s November Employee of the Month, what does the award mean to you?
It's such an honour to be nominated, let alone win it. The ward has been really challenging lately with capacity and winter pressures. I've been so well looked after by the ward, and I felt I was only returning the favour, but to be nominated was fantastic and very much appreciated.
How has your foundation training been going at Southport? What do you love most about the hospital?
A smaller District General Hospital (DGH) has a more community feel that I don't think you get with a larger hospital. Everyone knows each other and so you can build a rapport among your colleagues.
Nearly everything happens face to face and so you're much less likely to feel like a cog in a giant machine. You know who to go to if you need a referral and sometimes that can speed up discharges as you aren't waiting for a nameless reply.
Thinking back to your first day on the ward (without your grey scrubs!), how did you feel? What was going through your head?
I started on ED so I was terrified. But so little was expected of me; just to clerk patients and come up with diagnoses and management plans before discussing everything with the consultant. I feel like ED could so easily feel like being thrown in at the deep end, but it wasn't like that at all. Everyone was really supportive and, in the end, it made me a much more confident doctor going forward.
Looking back at the MBChB course (and Year 5 in particular), what do you think best prepared you for life on the foundation programme?
Definitely the 6 weeks shadowing towards the end. It allowed me to work on weaknesses I still had under the supervision of someone actually doing the job. I was still really unsure when it came to summarising, i.e. which information was pertinent. But working closely with my mentor gave me the opportunity to focus on history presenting. By the time I started, I was much more confident.
Liverpool focuses a lot on communication skills. 90% of your job is communication, the medicine is almost the easy bit. It set me up to be able to have difficult conversations from day 1, should I need to.
Is there a particular case, patient, moment that stands out to you that has made you think yes, this is why I’m doing this!
As a junior, you have a little more time with patients and their families. Sit with them, especially the complex ones. Don't shy away from difficult conversations because you're probably better at them than you give yourself credit for. Every time I sit with a family of a complex patient and work through their questions, and worries, their gratitude genuinely makes the job worthwhile.
What’s your biggest tip for final-year students as they prepare to follow in your footsteps in the summer?
Enjoy it a little more. Ask about the procedures that are on that day and interesting cases you can go see in ITU and on other wards. Assist as much as you can.
Anthony’s dedication, compassion, and commitment to patient care make him a deserving recipient of the Team MWL Employee of the Month award, and an inspiring example of excellence in the foundation training programme. Well done!