Blogs > Life in the UK / Useful Information

Who will I be working with?

• September 14, 2018

When you join the NHS the people you will be working most closely with will be the other doctors in your team also known as “firm”.

This will typically include:

• Your Consultant (most senior member of the team)
• Senior or Specialist Registrar (in training)
• Foundation Programme trainee (within the first two years after qualification)

Other doctors you may come into contact with include:

• Staff grades (a non-training grade doctor who is typically very experienced)
• Clinical fellows (a trainee grade doctor undertaking research)

Who will be in my multi-disciplinary team?

In order for patients to receive the best possible clinical care, several healthcare professionals will be involved. This is what is known as a multi-disciplinary team.

These include:

• Nurses – who will provide practical direct care for patients and often will provide you, as a doctor, with direct support on the wards and in clinics. The nurses are likely to have worked in the department for a long time and can provide you with invaluable advice – please do not be afraid to ask them questions.
• Midwives – work within the maternity and can deliver low-risk patients. They have limited prescribing abilities.
• Pharmacists – provide essential advice on which medications to prescribe and dispense drugs. Every hospital prescription is reviewed by them and you can contact them directly for advice when prescribing.
• Phlebotomists – most hospitals employ phlebotomists to take blood from patients, typically in the morning, so that results are available in the afternoon. Remember to make sure request forms are put out early in the day if you would like the phlebotomist to take blood from your patients as if you miss their ward round, you will have to take the blood yourself.
• Physiotherapists – assess patient mobility and may provide specialist input into care e.g. for patients with chest infections.

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References

Bma.org.uk. (2018). BMA - Life and work in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/life-and-work-in-the-uk/insiders-guide-to-being-a-junior-doctor-in-the-nhs/meet-the-team [Accessed 7 Sep. 2018].