Leicester Offers Helping Hand to Refugee Doctors
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2002 UMMER A quarterly look at activities in and around the Leicester Warwick Medical School S Mr D P S Sandhu, University of Leicester Postgraduate Dean for LEICESTER OFFERS Overseas Doctors, explains how refugee doctors in the region are given the training they need to work in the NHS. Ever since the South Trent National Health Service, it has HELPING HAND TO Deanery secured funding to been at the forefront of national support the induction of overseas “Induction to the NHS” courses. REFUGEE DOCTORS doctors into working for the To date seven courses have now been held under the auspices of the LWMS as part of the South Trent Deanery. One of these was targeted to refugee doctors, who will not have undergone the same preparation as overseas doctors for working in the UK. To integrate refugee doctors into the NHS, the Deanery is proposing that doctors will regis- ter with their local Postgraduate Dean and be assigned a mentor. Registration will allow the Post- (Continued on page 3) (Below) Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick, Professor David VandeLinde, NEW WING OPEN AT WARWICK with Lord and Lady Wolfson The University of Warwick Talking of the Institute, Dr celebrated the opening of the new Howel Jones, Chair of the Appeal Wolfson Wing of the BioMedical Group acknowledged: “This has Research Institute by Lord Wolfson only been possible because many himself, on Tuesday 14 May. hundreds of people have given More than 70 staff are currently their support and to all of them engaged in research in the inter- the Appeal Committee would like nationally acclaimed BioMedical to express its gratitude. We are Research Institute. Research confident that in the years ahead strengths are based in metabo- the reputation of the Institute will lism, diabetes and cardiovascular continue to grow and justify the disease; molecular microbiology; support which the Medical molecular physiology, neurobiol- Research Institute Appeal at the ogy, oncology and reproductive University of Warwick received in medicine and obstetrics. its early years.” – LWMS Links with Curriculum News Saffron Group From this World to News in Brief – page 8 Inside this issue... Gondar – page 2 page 4 Practice – page 5 the Next – pages 6-7 Issue 2 Website: www.lwms.ac.uk news Leicester Warwick Medical School News SCHOOL Summer 2002 SIGNS OF SUCCESS A British Sign Language course Language Centre studying as part which achieves the goals of the (BSL) run by the Warwick of the Leisure Evening Course Warwick and Leicester course – Language Centre proved so programme. This is the fourth being able to communicate with popular that the Centre had to year the subject has been offered patients of every ethnic origin put on a second group to cater on the Evening Course and those with disability. It was for the 25 applications. programme, with excellent probably one of the few modules The BSL course is a one-term examination results. where you and all your module for LWMS students, The students’ enthusiasm was housemates would sit in the designed and written by tutor evident. Pallavi Prasad said: “The lounge practising because you Maxine Ashmore. To be eligible to course is really enjoyable, and wanted to be better and fluent.” enter the Stage One Certificate very different. We also get a lot of Success, however, brought its examination of the Council for teaching in deafness awareness – own hazards. Some medical the Advancement of things like the fact that for a deaf students became so proficient Communication with Deaf person nothing is confidential they used their BSL skills to People students need to continue and you have to be careful who communicate secretly in their studies for three terms. you talk about, making sure your lectures – only to be To achieve this, where mouth patterns are clear and embarrassed on one occasion timetabling and Medical School keeping constant eye contact.” when a lecturer proved as fluent commitments allow, some Hannah Packman added: “It in the language as they were. students have subsequently was fantastic – a really fun and Philip Parker joined other groups within the useful special study module Manager, Language Centre LEICESTER – GONDAR LINK A link between the medical improved clinical practice, while schools of Leicester and Gondar, Leicester gains a rare opportunity Ethiopia, was created in 1997. to acquire skills and experience Gondar is a small town, albeit the of medical practice in a different third largest city of Ethiopia, with environment; sharing of research a population of 60,000. It serves a and clinical projects. mainly rural community, and is Exchange visits have taken situated in the highlands of place, lasting two to six weeks, Ethiopia, near the Simian including Paediatric visits which mountains. The hospital has 320 have resulted in research projects beds, and caters for the huge area in asthma, disability and anaemia. Royal Infirmary, so of NW Ethiopia. In a study to find the preva- please come along Many people live so far away lence and causes of anaemia, 300 and support the link. that they receive no health care. children were tested in the field. Our link is still at a Facilities at the hospital are Results showed a higher preva- very early stage, but limited with no intensive care. lence in the lowlands, due to we have already Wards are crowded and under- malaria, and 50 per cent of the achieved some of staffed. Infectious diseases are children had bowel parasitosis at our aims, and we the most common problems, the time of testing! All have now hope to see further such as TB, HIV, pneumonia and been treated. The diet has a vari- progress over the hepatitis. The medical college able iron content depending on next three years. trains 50 doctors a year, 80 nurses the season. • A book has just as well as health assistants, sani- Funding is raised through been published, in students will all receive a copy. tarians and technicians. grants from charities, local groups which Gondar and Leicester • Students from LWMS have Through the link, Gondar ben- and our own efforts, such as con- Paediatricians have collabo- already undertaken electives in efits from teaching and training in certs given by musical members rated to write additional “trop- Gondar. clinical and research areas; the of the Link. The next one is on ical” chapters to add to a Elaine Carter, undertaking of research projects Thurday, 5 September, in the Clin- Leicester-based Paediatric text- Consultant Paediatrician, identified to translate into ical Education Centre, Leicester book. Gondar and Leicester May 2002 2 Leicester Warwick Medical School News focus Summer 2002 RESEARCH REFUGEE DOCTORS (Continued from page 1) graduate Dean to offer a range of educational opportunities. These include access to study groups and local educational facilities, such as libraries, and attendance at education meet- ings, such as Journal Clubs, Grand Rounds, X-ray, Pathol- ogy, Audit and Multidisciplinary Team meetings. There will be opportunities to gain exam practice through par- ticipation in undergraduate and Opening of the new islet isolation facility at LGH (left to right): Steve White, Prof Nicholson, Sir Peter Morris, postgraduate examinations to Dr Sue Swift, Sue Townsend (author), James Shapiro and Dr Moira Murphy. gain insight into NHS working through clinical attachments. To practise medicine in the UK, non-European doctors are required to pass the Interna- tional English Language Testing Advances in Islet system (IELTS) and the Profes- sional Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) examinations. The Transplantation Deanery proposes that further preparation of Refugee Doctors for working for the NHS could Islets of Langerhans secrete fore be offered to the majority of building a new state of the art be served by three-monthly insulin from their beta cells. the diabetic population. Until two islet isolation facility at the adaptive posts that provide Insulin controls blood glucose. years ago the results of islet trans- Leicester General Hospital opportunity for hands-on practi- Patients with Type 1 diabetes have plantation were poor. (8 per cent (Division of Transplantation), cal experience and allow for a deficiency of insulin because insulin independence at one funded partly by Diabetes UK. assessment and appraisal of pro- their beta cells have been year). A seminal paper by James This laboratory was officially fessional development. destroyed by an autoimmune Shapiro from Edmonton, Canada opened at the end of January So far eight refugee doctors process. Treatment of diabetes reported markedly improved 2002 by Sue Townsend, author of have been identified locally. usually comprises insulin success in a series of patients now the Adrian Mole series, Moira The Deanery has developed injections but these do not links with the local Overseas prevent long-term complications Graduate Development Pro- such as blindness, kidney failure Islet transplantation can be done under a local gramme which offers some and neuropathy. support to refugees and it is A minority of patients are anaesthetic and has almost no risk to the hoped to secure funding for sometimes suitable for a pancreas patients. Potentially it can therefore be offered three NHS adaptive posts. transplant if they already have or These will be appointed on a need a future kidney transplant. to the majority of the diabetic population. competitive basis. These patients need drugs to Mr D P S Sandhu, Associate prevent the pancreas from being Postgraduate Dean for Overseas rejected. Unfortunately a approaching 35. At least 80 per Murphy, head of research at Doctors at the University of pancreas transplant is a major cent of patients are off insulin Diabetes UK, and Sir Peter Leicester, said: “Professionally it operation with a 10 per cent risk injections at one year, some Morris, President of the Royal is very satisfying.