Theatres and Critical Care
“I started working in NHS Lothian in 2003. I was originally a theatre practitioner in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. I worked there for nine years and I was a team leader. I moved to Edinburgh because I wanted to get more involved in transplant surgery and Edinburgh’s the only centre in Scotland that does liver transplants and pancreas transplants, and also manages the organ retrieval service as well, so that’s what attracted me to Edinburgh.
“I like Edinburgh as a city. I think it’s a fantastic place to live, with the Festival and everything else. The new Royal Infirmary has got fantastic facilities. It’s very modern, it’s got a lot of surgical specialties all in one place, which for me with an interest in transplantation, is very unique in Scotland, and one of only two centres that does kidney transplants, so it’s very unique from that point of view.
“Certainly when I started my training initially, I would never have dreamed to be in the position I’m in at the moment. Currently I manage the Scottish Organ Retrieval Service and I manage the liver transplant unit. That was a dream I could have had ten years ago but I didn’t think it would ever come to fruition, so for me, I couldn’t have got the opportunities anywhere else in the UK.”
