Reflecting on London’s enhance programme one year on

In 2020, the Future Doctor Report proposed that adopting generalist approaches might make healthcare fairer (particularly for under-represented groups) and more sustainable. The enhance programme is designed with that in mind, and incorporates the domains of person-centred care, complex multimorbidity, systems working, population health, social justice and sustainability.

Martin Griffiths, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer QMUL and Consultant vascular, endovascular and trauma surgeon at Barts NHS Trust

The Thinking Together Programme aims to deliver the enhance agenda across London. It has now reached its first anniversary. During the programme’s first year, we’ve brought together trainees from different specialties and have provided space for them to reflect on underlying, systemic causes of health inequalities, the impact of complex multimorbidity and the implications of current healthcare approaches on climate change. Delegates are encouraged to consider how person-centred, relational approaches might address some of the problems we currently face and are invited to participate in projects that aim to improve population health. Throughout, trainees are encouraged to think about root causes of illness and how to address social determinants as a form of primary prevention. 

One of the things that continually strikes me is the immense variety of initiatives that trainees have been involved with and have proactively set up. It is rare to get the opportunity to make a tangible difference to healthcare systems in such diverse ways.

Thinking Together has been the catalyst for inspiring collaboration from day one and the recent celebration event allowed the programme team to acknowledge the quality of work undertaken by the trainees over the last 12 months. At the event, Dr Philippa Clery and Rosa Town were recognised for their work in creating the North London Waiting Room, a website bringing together over 300 wellbeing resources for children and young people in North Central London, which has proven to be an invaluable tool for local clinicians working in child health. Here is a quote from Philippa:

"After meeting colleagues from General Practice, Paediatrics and Psychiatry at the Thinking Together days, my project idea began to shape into something more concrete. Feedback from colleagues motivated me to take my project further. Support from the Thinking Together programme highlighted new avenues and introduced me to other networks that have ultimately led to the co-creation of the NCL Waiting Room, a digital platform of resources for young people’s mental health for use by patients, families and clinicians. The platform has taken off and even received funding to help it to grow and be professionally maintained."

Dr Raphael Olaiya and Dr Rachel Nyam were recognised for their project on health coaching for people with diabetes. We also want to applaud other valuable initiatives: a support group for women from under-resourced areas to help prepare for parenthood; a directory of mental health resources in Kent and a social prescribing project supporting patients with depression at a city farm. It’s been wonderful to see the impact that Thinking Together has demonstrated in just one year.

Participants on the day expressed that they greatly valued the opportunity for likeminded people to come together to focus on the whole healthcare experience and promote holistic care. They told us they left feeling inspired: that "change is possible within the current system by working together with other specialties."

The programme’s first year has really set the direction of this programme. Looking ahead, we’re excited to see how the impact of enhance intensifies as the programme expands to new cohorts of learners and with the introduction of new enhance Foundation posts.

Find out more about the London enhance programme and email the London enhance team if you have any questions.