8 August 2024

More than 80 newly-qualified doctors will start their jobs at Frimley Health this week following a week-long induction to the Trust.

After five years at university medical schools, the doctors, known as FY1s (Foundation Year Ones) will begin work on the wards at Frimley Park and Wexham Park Hospitals as part of their two-year foundation training. The newly qualified doctors will work across a wide range of specialities, including medicine and surgery.

The 88 doctors have had a week-long induction including attending a special event called SIMley Health where hundreds of staff, volunteers and patients came together at Heatherwood Hospital to simulate a normal working shift.

This type of induction event is unique to Frimley Health and gives the doctors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with IT systems, write prescriptions, escalate cases, and interact with their clinical colleagues in a safe environment. During the event, the doctors carried bleeps, responded to simulated calls, and performed typical duties expected of an FY1 doctor. 

Dr Timothy Ho, chief medical officer, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “Junior doctors are a critical part of our workforce and we welcome all of our new FY!s as they start their careers here at Frimley Health.

“Our clinical education team has done a fantastic job with the induction, we’re very fortunate to have a facility like Heatherwood Hospital to be able to offer the doctors such a high level of training.

“The goal of SIMley Health is to create a safe environment where the new doctors can apply their medical knowledge, build confidence and learn safely to help their transition from medical school to the hospital wards. ”

The doctors graduated from various universities across the UK and as far afield as Bahrain, Boston and Poland.

Dr Anson Wong, who graduated from Birmingham University, started her role in the Acute Medical Unit at Frimley Park Hospital  said: “I’ve felt very supported by the people around me since I started. I did a ward round first thing this morning and the consultant guided me through and was very understanding. SIMley Health was really useful and it’s helped me to feel more prepared for going on call.”

Dr Sanj Shaunak, recently graduated from Leicester University, and did her first shift on one of the general medicine wards at Frimley Park. Sanj said: “I’ve seen a few patients this morning and it’s been good, not as daunting as I thought it would be. The staff seem really friendly, I shadowed people on Monday on Tuesday so I feel confident.”