Catheters. Preparation part 1.



Jurassic coast - best seen from a sea kayak or bike….

Some of my more fun “day off” activities

How do you go from being a GP on the south coast of Dorset with 8 partners and 3 local hospitals to one with no partners, and the nearest hospital 2 ferry rides and two hours by road, away? On the northern most Shetland Isle of Unst. 
I’m a bit of a control freak and as many doctors do, have perfectionist traits, so in order to enjoy and make the most of my time away, (not to mention being a safe and effective GP) this was going to need a lot of preparation.

I put the word out on Scottish medical social media. A few helpful replies later, including one from a GP who has been working there since the ‘80s (and is looking for a successor by the way….) and I had a quite a long list drawn up, of knowledge, skills and practical procedures I needed to reacquaint myself with, which included the BASICS course that I had recently done (see previous blog).


Most of which I could do with my eyes shut as a junior doctor but with many years of sitting in a GP consulting room, these skills were a distant memory. 

When my non medical friend, Sophie asked what I was planning to do on my precious day off, I replied “going to a catheter clinic.” She nearly spat out her drink and much hilarity ensued. Were suprapubic catheters a thing in the 1990’s? I don’t remember ever having to change one then, but thanks to the local district nurses I can competently change one now. I also have a dummies guide to dressings and next up is managing traumatic wounds and syringe drivers amongst other things (I’m sure a lot of the more “hands on” GPs are far more competent than me in this stuff!). 

It has been a real pleasure to spend time with such lovely colleagues and pick up practical skills again. All of which has been done in my own free time which somehow makes it more enjoyable and worthwhile 🤷‍♀️

Twelve continuous hours in a room with only your patients for company (some of whom are delightful of course!) can be a lonely job at times and I can honestly say the preparation I’ve done for this sabbatical has given me a renewed love of medicine. I’d forgotten how much I love the team camaraderie and practical skills that it can offer. 

It’s not all downhill to retirement after all. 

Next up….



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