Disabled Doctors Network - Diversifying our Workplace
Summary
This on-demand teaching session invites medical professionals to join in and learn more about disability, and how they can best support their colleagues with physical health problems. Led by Charlotte, a recipient of numerous privileges and living with physical health challenges, it brings together both the legal responsibilities of medical professionals, and an understanding that each person with a disability is unique and deserving of individualized respect. Charlotte will also speak about various aspects of disability, including misconceptions often encountered and the spectrum of health challenges individuals may face. Tune in for a deeper understanding of disability, and how to provide a more inclusive approach in the medical field.
Learning objectives
- Understand the definition of disability according to the General Medical Council and how it relates to medical professionals.
- Recognize the different physical impairments medical professionals may face and why these should be supported.
- Develop effective strategies for detecting and responding to signs of disability in medical professionals.
- Develop understanding and appreciation of the differences in physical disabilities and how the individual is affected.
- Acquire effective communication strategies to support those with disabilities and prevent discrimination.
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The following transcript was generated automatically from the content and has not been checked or corrected manually.
I'm not sure that's gonna help. Really. Sorry. I have my work. Laptop seems to have blocked this. So having to get off my food. Okay. Any better? Let me know. He told me to get started. I Charlotte. Ah, yes. You can get started. Thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. So I miss thanks for inviting me to speak. And my name's Charlotte for the heat. I'm here on behalf of the disabled Doctors Network on our contact details or Twitter hands a little upset or there animals put my personal email address in case in and has any full of questions. Yeah, remain. Goal is as on her mission statement there in It's supporting medical students on doctors who have physical disabilities or chronic health. If we go to the next light, please. So briefly went to eight Lane. Who I am because I think that's important. Want open it disability to that perspective. With the person speaking, we'll talk about what disability is. Why I think it's we wouldn't care and what we can all day to support a disabled colleagues on. Then they'll be some time for questions. If all that seems to complicated mountain take from Point is that every single person with a disability like everyone else is an individual. And so the best we can do is approach. These conversations are talking about with humility, curiosity and empathy. And I think if you do that, even if you make some mistakes along the way, as be all day, and your intentions will be clear next light, please. And there's a few animations you can just click right. Three. I'm Yep, that should be it. So, um, I put this picture here. This is a genius. The room and gorgeous AM Doors transitions gateways on a bit much because they're always feeling like this. Two faces on its to reflect back fact that we can show a few different faces or versions of herself to the world. So the left hand side is one version of my life were I'm essentially a glass full medic and then at work and public health in the East of England. But the right hand version is also our life, but I've had which is developing physical health problems, partly through medical school, finishing my school on crutches, having had surgery, both my knees, becoming a future user a mobile mobility scooter use area. I'm also worked part time when I was doing my friend a Shim training and actually gets taken your it for a while. Health when I could find me, lift my head up for my own difficulties, moved into more disability advocacy and with the network with the General Medical Council on. Currently I'm working with the University of Cambridge medicals go on, bringing inclusion into their medical curriculum. That all indicates that my perspective is someone is who has a physical disability that was acquired later in life, and that's going to have a different perspective than other people with other challenges. And it's really important to polite bottom there, that being able to see all of this because I benefit from many other privileges that I fit in that list, and I'm sure it comes up. Look in these sessions in other places. But this contact of intersectionality on If I have the physical health challenges I do intersecting with another disadvantage. I mean, I've been able to do all this, and I think it's important to acknowledge and the good things I've had a going for me. The advantages of hat next slide, please. Case of some assumptions about who might be watching this. The picture on the left is from a disability, a support group that I created online and back in 2013. I fear the on controversial picture, but it ends up going viral. Tens of patients, every tweets on D like anything on the Internet. I was then subjected Teo, a huge moat, very vial and anti disability abuse. Um, so that pictures, they say that I I knew that exists. But I don't expect that anyone in this room were watching later is in that camp. And so I'm not going to focus on that today. Well, I'm going to focus on Is the pictures more on the right hand side? So when we mean to do the right thing, But for whatever reason, you get it wrong, and I do that too. The middle picture is that thing of offering help is great. Giving help without consent is less great. Um, one of my colleagues and that the network had over the striking example of this recently. She has an artificial arm that's pirate electronic. Lee Onda. She was at work in the hospital and mentioned that one of the buttons was playing up Onda, her consultant, just reached the girls and started pushing different controls on her artificial hand because they thought they could somehow fix it for her. But it meant her hand was moving in a very, um, predictable it uncomfortable weight. Well, we'll talk about how you could be a bit more sensitive, and I don't you think like that a. The picture on the rate the farthest rate is also a common challenge, which is that you don't look sick. Check and subjects be done with a tour of complement. I am, but somewhat implies, that being second dose ability, something should hide it and be be glad that you've had in which is not ideal. And more commonly, though it comes with the best of a challenge off pre of your diagnosis. You know, you don't look sick. Prove to me why you have this label or you deserve this adaptation on again. We'll talk about how we try and avoid coming across in that manner. Um, you to the next side, please. Okay. So I put a sudden cause disability, get funded about a lot of the term and I think most people think of this picture on the left, which is one of my favorite pictures of identikit people stuck in a minute here. But actually, disability is not a broader than that on game. The document on the rate is from welcomed and valued. Which is it, uh, peace produced by the GMC It a few years ago night on essentially names to linked together all their guidance on supporting doctors and medical students with physical health problems, right from preregistration. All the different transitions in the career visuals, advice for supervisors, training program directors with a really great document on it, recommended even to look at it. What I like about this definition is it pulls out a few key aspect, which is the disability? Something substantial. It's a long term thing. So this isn't you know, I broke my leg on. I'm in a cast for a few weeks, is a longer term thing, and it hasn't impact on your daily life on, But I think we often think is medics. They activities of daily living is washing, dressing, feeding oneself, but actually it can also be things like being able to go to the shops being able to engage in social events. Now, when you look at that, you see and they're listed there that actually having a disability or a long term condition encompasses a huge range of health challenges, including relapsing remitting conditions, chronic diseases, sensory impairment, mental health challenges, learning difficulties. So it's a really broad group. But I think that's a key point for me to To pull like this isn't just people and Villagers as well. From my think it is removal on please the next night. Thank you. So why should you care of it? Doctors with disabilities a long time? How conditions? Okay, a few options there. And I think, honestly, I think we could make a case for all of them. So the first reason is, um, the GMC and the low says you shoot on. That is true disability. Is that one of the protective characteristics in the qualities that, and so directly or indirectly discriminated against someone on the basis of a disability, is illegal on more so the GMC and their guidance encourages us to support are M colleagues with health challenges. The flip side of this is also that the GMC does not strike people off or raise people from the register purely for having a health problem. And I think that's something that they don't make clear enough. And I think it leads to lots of, um, doctors and medical students worrying about telling the GNC about health problem. But you will not be struck off if you have a health problem. Where she's arised is if your health problem and affects your judgement to make decisions of a what's safe. But if you're the average doctor, he has a health issue on your engaging with your own doctors, and you're working with your trainers and doing all the all those things. Then really, your health problem is not a bar to registration, I would argue, is the right thing to do morally. And we have doctors trying g inclusive and a supportive of people to achieve their potential, and that I think should extend your colleagues as well. And that really likes the point. See you, you might want to use to know about your colleagues, and I think that's great. But actually, I think if we look, if we think back to that list of conditions, we're all going to be working quite many number of years and ultimately it it could be us one day. Who has the health challenge on? If that's the case, I hope that maybe some tiny bits of this talk stay in your head or that perhaps you work with people who have been to talk like this or some other tools. Premium on, please. Okay, this is Ah, spectrums. I think many people will be familiar with this particular ones, actually from a project punishment site. But I think it becomes is a lot of what I'd like to highlight. The key part for me is that this is a spectrum on it can feel a bit daunting. And so, for those who are at the beginning of their journey, it's fine to stay at the new Ally end. You know, see there and do that well, and that's perfectly fine. I know also that people who comes to this conference are particularly engaged, and so they might be more the every day at liars, super early and, um so I'll talk through. There was a spell. Female. Thank you. So in terms of listening, I mentioned that are there if someone you're working with mentions or brings up a health problem or disability in any way. Really key is a doctor to try and resist the urge to diagnose thumb or ask for it really quite invasive medical details. I am. I've worked in medicine and I timis in on I actually find medics or the worst for this. When I worked in offices, people just tend to accept what you say. It's a oh, isn't that terrible? And medicine. I am my other college from the network. We've had many times where the war dry and is waiting for the computer to prior up on while they're reading a consultant, turn to treat easy. So what's wrong with you anyway? And that's doesn't know really the the right time of the right place. And ultimately, like our patients, your colleagues have a right to confidentiality. To that said, there's a concept called empathetic witnessing, which, if you're interested and there's lots of list right there. But it boils down to the idea that and if someone is disclosing something to you that's important to them, like if a colleagues telling you about their health challenges and listening on acknowledging the difficulty they're having can actually be very close to him and he'll ink thing and it doesn't take a huge night. And but it could be very helpful for that colleague in terms of beginning this, I think I hopefully is an approach that avoids of slipping into that and helping four people instead of asking. So I think if we we taking a purchasing something like, You know, I even noticed that or you've mentioned that you have issues with your back or your balance. I want to be a sports of police. Is there anything you'd like me to new or do definitely that be helpful, even if someone is very private and they don't want to speak about the disability, I think in approaching this way, you make it clear that you're coming from a perspective of wanting to help. I'm I'm wanting to be and wanting to know about what you could do. But you're not prying, and I think it might open up a conversation where people could say no. Actually, I don't need support and then you've offered Alternatively, people might say, actually, there's this one thing would be really helpful if you could do X. So I have a colleague who's very profound, the hearing impaired. But she's a phenomenal, that preacher, and and this is exactly the kind of time where she says people actually really important. If you could make a point or not training away from me when you speak or you know, not speaking to me from behind a coffee cup and things like that can be really it's a small thing, but it can make a massive difference to you people's experience of work. We go to the next light, please. Um, for me, I think these are the wrong way, right? And on the spectrum. So I think we should be learning. Probably before were engaging. Um, any terms of learning there's There's, of course, the white of concept. If we should try and learn how people like to be referred to on particularly disability, there's a big debate between person first language. So I prefer to be a doctor with the disability because I feel that centres doctor first. But I have colleagues who prefer to be disabled doctors because they I'm feel that it's a key part of their identity. Is a a clinician and either spiting that I think learning what your colleagues prefer. The flipside in the Morphone side of that is I've also had fantastic colleagues who've really leaned into it on even my beauterne neck names on. They'll text me when they're arguing about it, and they see other people with a similar picture and say, like, Oh, it's all scoot, Scoot right on the bike and it's It's nice and it makes me feel a bit less like less to boot when people can talk about it in terms of engaging and using your language to challenge assumptions open you here and people say things like we're really short staffed because that person works part time. What they usually mean is, are in my experience, what you mean is, the other shifts haven't been covered. So, for example, I worked 50% for a while on for a while, they hadn't hired a locum to covered cover. The other 50% on senior staff would say over really short because Charlotte only works half time. What would have been really helpful would've been having colleagues to say, Well, we're short because we don't have a look, um, for half of the shifts. You know when? When Charlotte's here, we're not sure it's stuffed, and it's just like having any uncovered ship. And for doctors with health problems that can just having that sort of support and those challenges and can be a real asset, we move on to the next side. Please, On this brings down into my point all. If you're a doctor with a health difficulties, you do have a degree of privilege on it. You can try and recognize that privilege and use it where you feel comfortable. So if you're the kind of person he feels confident and speaking up, it could be really helpful for you to be couple of issues that affect everyone. So I'll give you an example. I'm if we think there's open Roaches that are somewhat understaffed on, everybody's working above their schedule. Divers that often hits first the people with health problems because pacing is such an important part seeing well. But as a person with health problems, you probably already have to ask for multiple adoptions and changes and and you could feel like an often are labeled the difficult trainee. And so if you're the one has to raise the rotating issues that commit, You feel like even more like the difficult training. Whereas if you're able, Teo, um, one of your able bodied colleagues is able to speak of say, actually, everybody on this roach is having a difficulty with this. Then it can just take that pressure away from the person of the disability. The other thing is to be an inclusive trendsetter. You just close and thank you about whether you're works. Social activities are inclusive. Are they always in this one bar that isn't usually assessable? Or do you always set on high bar stools are very uncomfortable for people with physical difference. You know, if you if you realize this, you can speak of it privately with your quality and say, Look, is there somewhere that would work better for you? And if there is, you know you'd be the one to suggest that, or if your colleague with the disability suggests an alternative, then you, you know, support them, and the groups say, you know, yeah, that's great. I think we should go there, and that could make really big difference, because although it's not technically in the workplace getting through medicine is so much fight and we need so much of that social support, all of us date and so being part of that, it's really helpful. And then I moved to the last light. Um, advocacy is, and at this end of the spectrum, it's it's a bigger commitment. But if you do have the time on the energy, I would encourage you to get involved. You can always get involved with ourselves with stable doctors network, but also coming back to the point of Intersectionality, I would say Really think about the scales. You have the interest, the passions and see whether where you could best used them to make an impact on. That might be looking at the intersection between disability and woman's house until there's the medical woman's foundation there, or if you're from unethical minority. There's different groups of represent definitely different ethnic minorities in medicine, and you could comment it from multiple different angles, and some of the loop is there who do really great work. If we move on to the final side. I'm just put ready, tells there again, very happy for people to get in touch with us, Onda. I will take any questions that there are any in the trap or and any sort of overall. Do you? Okay. I don't think I could see any questions from the chat, so hopefully that's been clear. Okay, I think that probably looks like it's going over today. And so, like, is it happy for anyone? Teo, come back to you by email or to get in touch with the network. Onda, Thank you once again for inviting disabled doctors never to speak. All right. Thank you. Cheryl. Little speaking to really informative and interesting talk. Andrea. Really the innkeeper. Come take your time's. Come on. Yeah, No worries. Thanks. Just thanks. Thank you.